Paul Finebaum says this college coach reminds him of prime Nick Saban

Comparisons to former University of Alabama head coach Nick Saban aren’t thrown around lightly in college football.

So, when someone is likened to arguably the greatest college coach of all-time, it’s going to make headlines. That’s exactly what happened Monday morning when noted college football analyst Paul Finebaum put Georgia football coach Kirby Smart in the same conversation as Saban on ESPN’s “Get Up.”

“[Georgia is] what Alabama was about five or six years ago,” Finebaum said . “They have it because they have recruited at such a high level. Kirby Smart in his late 40’s is Nick Saban in the absolute prime of his career.”

The parallels between the two coaches are apparent.

If Georgia wins the national championship this season, Smart, who was Saban’s defensive coordinator from 2008-15, would match the three titles in four years that his mentor accomplished at Alabama from 2009-12.

Not to mention Smart’s resume through his first eight seasons at Georgia (94-16 record, two national championships) is eerily similar to Saban’s first eight seasons at Alabama (86-17 record, three national championships.)

However, the Bulldogs have a tough road ahead of them if they are to capture a third national title in four years. UGA opens the season at Clemson and then has a brutal four-game stretch from Oct. 19 to Nov. 16 where it plays Texas, Florida, Ole Miss and Tennessee.

“Their schedule is difficult though,” Finebaum added. “They have to play at Alabama and at Texas — two of the best schools in the SEC. They don’t have a lot of room for error, but in the new age of the playoffs, you can lose two or three games, especially if your name is Georgia.”