Nick Saban vs. Bobby Petrino: Paralleled Coaching Careers Collide Again

Fourteen job changes.

Sixteen job changes.

Resurrecting two college football programs.

Questionable exits from NFL head coaching jobs.

Like it or not, Alabama's Nick Saban and Arkansas' Bobby Petrino's careers have traveled side by side on the space-time continuum and they will converge yet again this Saturday, causing ripples in the respective seasons for both their teams.

It only seems fitting that an offensive mastermind like Petrino would be trapped with a defensive genius like Saban in the same division of the SEC.

Petrino has Mike Price to thank, who gave him his first coaching gig at Weber State, while Nick Saban owes his career to Don James at Kent State.

The two men crisscrossed schools in the respective regions of the Midwest and Mountain West. Saban found some stability as a defensive backs coach under George Perles at Michigan State. Petrino found his sport as an offensive coordinator under John L. Smith at Utah State and followed Smith to Louisville.

Both spent time as assistants in the NFL.

It's especially interesting when you think of how Smith left Louisville for Michigan State, opening the door for Petrino to come from Auburn to take over as head coach. Of course, Saban was only one coach removed from Smith at State (Bobby Williams, who is now under Saban at Alabama). 

Confusing?

Perhaps.

The one common thread that seems to truly link Petrino and Saban is their misfortunes in the NFL. You can argue as to which coach had the more ugly exit, but both left the hard way.

Petrino left Louisville after leading the Cardinals to a 41-9 record and conference titles in Conference USA and the Big East, including an Orange Bowl victory. Just before his first training camp after being named the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, Petrino was slammed with the news that Michael Vick was being arrested for bankrolling an illegal dogfighting operation.

Petrino's plans to build around Vick were shattered, and after a 3-10 mark, he called it quits with three games remaining and became the head coach at Arkansas, succeeding Houston Nutt.

Saban stepped away from Baton Rouge after leading LSU to a national title and a 48-16 record. Two years later he left the Miami Dolphins after his second season, despite famously telling everyone he would not in fact be the next coach at Alabama. With a 15-17 overall record with the Dolphins, Saban at least showed the potential to breed success at the pro level.

Still, for these two men, their hearts, success and, of course, wallets were better suited for the college game.

Saban has already won a national title at Alabama and Petrino has his most talented Hogs squad yet.

With both of these programs firing on all cylinders, it appears the annual showdown between the Hogs and the Tide could become a constant powerhouse game.

Who wins this time?

The defensive mastermind or the offensive genius?