ESPN's Samantha Steele went on a ride-along with Alabama coach Nick Saban, and it resulted in 90 of the most depressing seconds of video you'll ever see.
Nick Saban turned 61 years old on Halloween, but he had no idea. His Alabama team plays LSU in Baton Rouge on Saturday, and if the Crimson Tide lose, they could forfeit any chance of defending their national championship in January. Most coaches would consider the head coaching position at Alabama to be one of the best jobs in the country, but Saban's short drive with Steele is a reminder of the drastic consequences of such a title. The job is literally sucking the soul right out of Saban — in the interview, his body may be lifelessly cruising along the highway, but you can tell he's really thinking about how to stop Tigers running back Jeremy Hill or a thousand other small details as Steele asks a bunch of meaningless questions and tries to make talking to a robot look natural. That's not to suggest Saban isn't happy in Tuscaloosa, he probably is, he's even got his own bronze statue outside Bryant-Denny Stadium. But even if the Crimson Tide roll on to another national title this year, there will be no momentary escape for Saban. He'll be on the recruiting trail trying to snatch up elite prospects before they commit to LSU or Florida or Auburn. It's okay, though, Saban will get some rest when he retires at 80, or more likely when he croaks on the sidelines of the 2034 national championship game.
H/T Andrew Sharp at SB Nation.