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The ESPN documentary “Saban” features never-before-seen footage of Nick Saban benching Jalen Hurts at halftime during the 2018 national championship game against Georgia and replacing him with Tua Tagovailoa. Saban explains that his decision was based on Alabama’s poor performance in the first half, with a deficit of 13-0 and Hurts throwing for only 21 yards. The footage shows Saban making the change in a calm and calculated manner, despite the pressure of the moment, and the team went on to win the game 26-23 after Tagovailoa’s outstanding performance, including scoring the winning touchdown in overtime.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-09,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The new ESPN documentary "Saban" features never-before-seen footage from 2018, showing legendary college football coach Nick Saban benching then-quarterback Jalen Hurts during halftime of the national championship game against Georgia in favor of Tua Tagovailoa. Alabama ultimately won the title, defeating Georgia. In the documentary, Saban explains his decision to make the change when Alabama was trailing 13-0 and Hurts had thrown for only 21 yards. During an interview, Saban also revealed that he asked offensive coordinator Brian Daboll who would inform Hurts of the switch, to which Daboll deferred responsibility back to Saban. This move significantly impacted both players' careers and highlighted Saban's strategic decision-making in high-stakes games.
Written for “College Football Bench Decision” on 2026-10-10,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 69440 · logged 2026-10-09
The new ESPN documentary “Saban,” detailing the illustrious life and career of legendary college football coach Nick Saban, includes never-before-seen footage of a particularly well-known moment from Saban’s time at Alabama.
asserted
documentary → detail → Alabama
The documentary shows Saban’s decision to bench Jalen Hurts at halftime of the 2018 national championship game in favor of Tua Tagovailoa.
asserted
documentary → show → Tagovailoa
Alabama went on to defeat Georgia to win the title.
asserted
Alabama → go → title
In a sit-down interview for the documentary, Saban described how he told the coaches he was making the change.
asserted
he → sit → change
Then-offensive coordinator Brian Daboll asked Saban who would tell Hurts, and Saban replied, “Does that mean you want me to tell him?”
asserted
me → ask → him
The clip cuts to the locker room, where Saban gestures to Tagovailoa and says, “We’ll choose as we go, but you’re gonna start the second half, and then we’re gonna play two guys.”
asserted
we → cut → guys
Saban explains that he knew “it was the time” to make the change at the half with Alabama down 13-0 and Hurts having thrown for only 21 yards.
asserted
Hurts → explain → yards
Later in the clip, Hurts addressed the moment, saying he “can’t say that I was surprised” before trailing off to a long pause.
asserted
I → address → pause
“He’s a competitor,” Saban said.
asserted
Saban → ’ → ?
“He wants to play.
asserted
He → want → ?
He wants to do well.
asserted
He → want → ?
No different than anybody else that ever played the sport.
asserted
that → play → sport
Nobody wants to be insignificant, but I didn’t make that decision in two minutes.
asserted
I → want → minutes
I made it in two minutes, but I thought about it for two months.
asserted
I → make → months
You don’t just make emotional decisions like, ‘I’m really frustrated we’re not moving the ball right now, so I’m gonna change quarterbacks.’
asserted
I → make → quarterbacks
No, it was calculated.”
asserted
it → calculate → ?
The decision worked out well for Saban and the Crimson Tide.
asserted
decision → work → Saban
Tagovailoa threw three touchdowns, including the game-winner to DeVonta Smith in overtime, in the 26-23 Alabama win.
asserted
Tagovailoa → throw → win
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