I posted this on an earlier thread:
I think Saban is still in play for a lot of reasons:
1. Mack has left on his own accord (officially) and is no longer in any position to stand in the way.
2. There's still the matter of a $5.7 mil home he just purchased.
3. The UT offer dwarfs his Bama contract and it's a known fact he lost plenty of money on investments.
4. He has friends among the BMD's who have offered investment deals.
5. He would be a splash hire and he knows TX is a big time recruiters paradise and he would have a blank check to hire coaches.
6. Ego. One of his main motivating factors in leaving Bama was to become the first coach to win Natty's at 3 different schools!
7. I'm sure I may have left something else out but my main reason for thinking that he is still in play is this: I have read a couple of times that his new contract has no buy-out clause. This had to be his decision and not Bama's. I am sure that Bama would have wanted a hefty buy-out to be a part of such a large extension. This means that there is nothing to stop him from leaving at any time. The scenario would play out like this: He continually down plays any real interest in TX while everything dies down and it becomes clear that he had no actual part in Macks retirement. He waits and lets Sexton negotiate an even better deal with the BMD's who now want him more than ever (forbidden fruit). With new deal in hand he pleads his case that he never wanted to leave but the offer was just too great to turn down. Say what you want but there are just too many reasons why it still could happen!
