Alabama player responds to David Pollack: ‘There would be no Georgia without Alabama’

Alabama guard Tyler Booker singled out commentary from former Georgia player David Pollack entering Saturday’s SEC championship game.

Saturday night seemed like an inflection point in the Nick Saban era at Alabama. Instead of inviting questions about what a second loss to Kirby Smart and Georgia in three seasons would have meant to Alabama’s place in college football’s hierarchy, the Tide likely slammed the door shut on a three-peat for the Bulldogs with a 27-24 win in the SEC championship game.

In other words: meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

“We just knew we had to make our statement today,” Alabama guard Tyler Booker said after the game. “Especially when you got guys like David Pollack saying that the standard is Georgia. The standard can only be imitated, not replicated. There’s only one Alabama, and there’s always going to be one Alabama.

“The message was, we are the standard. There would be no Georgia without Alabama. We are the standard. We proved that today. We might have had a slow two years, but the standard is here. We are the standard. Block out what everybody else says. David Pollack, we are the standard.”

Pollack was part of ESPN’s cast during the national championship game last January when he spoke about Georgia having “taken a hold of college football” while on set with Saban. This week, Pollack — who was laid off by ESPN this summer — appeared on former Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray’s podcast and likely caught the ear of Booker and other Alabama players.

“The better coach is clearly Kirby Smart,” Pollack said on Snaps. “Clearly. Now I have enough evidence. They’re not gonna get penalties. They’re not gonna turn the football over. They’re not gonna beat themselves. What have we seen from Nick Saban and Alabama the past several years? That discipline we once saw that was elite of elite has eroded. Penalties up. Turnovers have been more consistent. The one thing I do note and I know nobody wants to hear and that I’m sure everybody’s going to be like, ‘Oh, you went to Georgia.’ No, Kirby is the better coach right now.”

Georgia ended Saturday’s game with one turnover, a costly third-quarter fumble that led to an Alabama field goal that proved to be the difference. Alabama did not turn the ball over for the fourth time in the past five games. Georgia also committed more penalties (five for 56 yards) than Alabama (three for 36 yards).