You might want to put Saban together with Thanos in the "bad guys we love to see lose" category, sure. But there's another word to describe them both:
Inevitable.
Nick Saban, who's next trip around the sun will leave him sitting at 70 years of age, is still the commanding figure at the head coaching spot in all of college football.
But how? And why?
What makes Saban stand apart for every single of one his colleagues? Why is he so consistently considered the best in the game, relatively unthreatened by everyone else in a visor and headset?
Simple.
Because while most other coaches do it their way, regardless of circumstance, Nick Saban does it whatever way it needs to be done to win.
There's no better illustration of that fact than simply watching this year's Crimson Tide team.
When you think Alabama football, when you think Nick Saban football, you think blue collar football. Hard-nosed running game. Brick wall defense. Three yards and a cloud of dust, whether you like it or not.
But that's not this year's team. Not at all.
Granted, it's not terribly far off. Najee Harris might be the most pro-ready running back in all of college football. The defense isn't exactly rolling over.
But you don't think about Alabama as a team that scores 40+ over every game in a season except one (the opening game of the year.)
You don't think about Alabama as a team that sends a quarterback AND a wide receiver to the Heisman Trophy celebration, and as the team to bring home the award at one of those positions.
You don't think about Alabama as a team that accomplished that while their actual WR1 sat out with an ankle injury.
But here we are.
Nick Saban said not terribly long ago that while he didn't love the evolution of college football into a more spread out game, he also realized he had two options: adapt to it, or fail.
And considering they're playing for yet another title until him, it's pretty clear what decision he made.
Alan Blinder of the New York times has written an incredible piece that goes into much greater detail about Saban's evolution in college football, and why he's Nick Saban and your head coach is not.
You can read this piece by clicking right here.