Nick Saban’s Retirement Brings Back Memories of Nebraska Football’s Glory and Decline
Nick Saban’s retirement in 2025 marks the end of an era in college football—a reign of dominance, discipline, and dynasties. As the curtain falls on his legendary career, many fans and analysts are drawing parallels to another once-dominant program: Nebraska football. The connection might not be obvious at first glance, but the underlying storylines echo each other in uncanny ways—raising questions about what happens when a powerhouse loses its cornerstone.
Much like Alabama under Saban, Nebraska was once the gold standard in college football. From the 1970s through the 1990s, under coaches like Bob Devaney and especially Tom Osborne, the Cornhuskers were a force of nature. They claimed five national championships, churned out NFL talent, and embodied a hard-nosed, run-heavy, smashmouth style that struck fear into opponents. Osborne’s final years, culminating in a 60-3 record over his last five seasons and three national titles in four years (1994, 1995, 1997), are the stuff of legend.
But after Osborne’s retirement in 1997, Nebraska football slowly began to unravel. Successors struggled to maintain the standard. Recruiting pipelines dried up, conference realignments complicated identity, and the Huskers cycled through head coaches in search of stability. Each new hire was met with hope—and ultimately disappointment. Nebraska’s descent from perennial national title contender to struggling Big Ten midcarder serves as a cautionary tale about how fragile dominance can be once the architect is gone.
With Saban stepping away from Alabama, a similar uncertainty looms. While the Crimson Tide are better positioned financially and structurally than Nebraska was in the late ’90s, history suggests that maintaining elite success without a transcendent leader is far from guaranteed. The question is no longer how long will Alabama reign—but can anyone fill Saban’s shoes?
Saban’s departure doesn’t just close a chapter—it reminds us how quickly empires can fall. Just ask Nebraska.
