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We’re guessing that Nick Saban hates ties in college football.
Thanks to overtime, he hasn’t had to worry about them since 1996, but the Alabama coach is currently tied with three other power conference head coaches in terms of bowl experience with 16 games to his credit. Believe it not, Saban is only 8-8 in bowl games entering Alabama’s College Football Playoff matchup with Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Eve. But he is also just one of four current Power 5 coaches to have participated in 16 bowls.
Here are the 11 power-conference coaches with the most bowl experience, listed in order of appearances:
10 — Urban Meyer (8-2) and Mike Leach (5-5): Meyer can add to his .800 winning percentage with a win over Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Day. Leach can move over the .500 mark by beating the Miami Hurricanes in the Sun Bowl on Saturday.
11 — Paul Johnson (4-7): What a difference a year makes. Johnson’s Georgia Tech squad manhandled Mississippi State 49-34 in last season’s Orange Bowl. To say that this season has been the pits for Johnson and the Yellow Jackets would be an understatement. Georgia Tech’s 3-9 record in 2015 is the second-worst of Johnson’s career. In 2002, Johnson’s first season with Navy, the Midshipmen went 2-10.
12 — Kirk Ferentz (6-6): The best season of the Iowa coach’s career continues with a Rose Bowl matchup between his 12-1 Hawkeyes and 11-2 Stanford.
13 — Gary Patterson (8-5) and Les Miles (7-6): Patterson’s TCU team takes on Oregon in the Alamo Bowl on Jan. 2. Say what you want about Miles, but the Mad Hatter has a winning record in bowls. That’s something that the best coach in his conference — and arguably the country — can’t claim. LSU takes on Texas Tech in the Texas Bowl on Dec. 29.
14 — Mark Richt (9-5): It’s too bad Richt isn’t coaching what would have been his 15th consecutive bowl with Georgia. Now that the Miami alum is leading his Hurricanes, he can watch his former team face Penn State in the TaxSlayer Bowl on Jan. 2.
16 — Saban (8-8), Bob Stoops (8-8), Bobby Petrino (7-9) and Bill Snyder (7-9): How about that! Saban and Stoops would face each other in the CFP final with one more victory. Oklahoma takes on top-ranked Clemson in the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Eve. Petrino’s Louisville Cardinals face Texas A&M in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30, while Snyder — who at 76 is the oldest coach in the FBS — will lead Kansas State into its Liberty Bowl matchup against Arkansas on Jan. 2.
Stan Chrapowicki is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers SEC football, Alabama and Auburn.
