https://www.denverpost.com/2018/01/09/nick-saban-tua-tagovailoa-jalen-hurts/
First, I would like to say that my predictions were very true. I have stated over and over that Saban was the "it" factor in this year's FBS Championship game, and boy was I right. I knew that talent for talent, both teams were similar. There styles were similiar, and I mean even Georgia's very own head coach worked for Alabama prior to being hired. However, only one team had Nick Saban as head coach. With all his wisdom and championship experience as head coach, in addition to the Alabama players who have played in multiple championships, I knew that that would be a great disadvantage for Georgia.
Georgia had Alabama's card, and clearly out played Alabama for the majority of the game. Alabama was done, and Saban knew it. What most of the world didn't see coming, is the "Ace of spade" Saban had in his back pocket. Nick Saban pulled a true freshmen, with little starting experience, off of the bench in the second half of the national championship. What! Who takes a quarterback who has only lost 2 games, including one national championship, in the past 2 years, and replaces him with an unproven true freshman? Nick Saban does! What guts! Well, not only did he have the guts to do it, but he stuck to his decision and didn't renege, even in signs of trouble.
From what I heard, the two quarterbacks were supposed to have alternated playing time. Instead, Hurts, the starting, national championship winning, glorified quarterback of the last two seasons, never saw another down. Even after questionable decisions, like bad passes leading to costly interceptions and not getting rid of the ball to avoid sacks, Saban left the freshmen, Tagovailo, in for the remainder of the game. What did he see and/or know to take such a risk?
Let me take a wild guess. He saw a response and activity on both sidelines that he hadn't seen all game. He was attentive to the heartbeat of the situation, and he wasn't afraid to make changes. He wasn't too proud or stuck in his ways to do what was needed to be done, even it looked foolish to the average person. He clearly had some information that we didn't. He used it when it counted, and was needed the most; in a national championship game that was gone down the drain. 99% of coaches at any level would not have had the nerve to pull such a stunt. That's why he is one of the greatest coaches of all time. He proved himself and his organization to all doubters. Only someone with a serious case of denial would underestimate his abilities.
As a leader, I realized that not only do you have to be able to make the tough decisions, but you also have to be prepared and in position to make them. Then, when it is time, you much pull the trigger, not matter how crazy or inopportune it seems at the moment. In order to accomplish the impossible, sometimes you have to make decisions that are just as unbelievable. This does not mean blind, thoughtless gambling, but having a solid optimistic plan in place that could go against all of the odds. In this case, it was an extremely talented and seemingly undeveloped or unprepared freshman quarterback by the name of Tua Tagovailoa. Georgia didn't see this coming nor could they prepare for it, especially when they were so bent on stopping the proven talent of Jalen Hurts. What else can you do when someone has such tools, and is courageous enough to use them when needed?