Colorado football: Coach Prime's Nick Saban retirement message isn't wrong, says analyst

Coach Prime had an interesting response to the Nick Saban retirement rumors on January 10 that were later confirmed by the program and the University of Alabama's brain trust. And while USA Today's Jace Evans doesn't believe the Colorado football head man wasn't wrong about his message for why Saban called it a career in Tuscaloosa -- blaming the radical changes the sport has undergone since he arrived --, he did remind readers of the context that Deion Sanders may be purposely ignoring.

"Sanders isn't wrong that college football has changed a ton in recent years, with name, image and likeness deals putting money in student-athletes' pockets and the transfer portal allowing freer player movement among the particular standouts," Evans prefaced before saying, "It should be noted, however, that few coaches have made use of these changes quite like Sanders — for the second straight year Sanders has landed the top-ranked transfer class, for starters."

Sanders' tweet came within half an hour of the news breaking from ESPN's Chris Low.

“WOW! College Football just lost the GOAT to retirement," Coach Prime prefaced before exclaiming, "Wow! I knew it would happen (one) day soon but not this soon. The game has change(d) so much that it chased the GOAT away. College football let's hold up our mirrors and say HONESTLY what (do you) see.”

Colorado football looking to pick bones of Nick Saban-less Alabama

Not long after Saban's retirement, Shedeur Sanders started recruiting players in Tuscaloosa to make the move northwest to Boulder.

Even without Saban's former right-hand man, Charles Kelly, on the staff as CU's defensive coordinator, the Buffs loom large as a threat to poach Alabama players who were not aware that their 2024 season (and beyond) wouldn't be coached by the sport's all-time defensive minds and overall leaders.