Nick Saban is the best coach in the history of college football.
And this week he looks absolutely embarrassing. Simply terrible, in fact, and he likely owes one of his former players and potentially others an apology. (Don't hold your breath for that, by the way.)
Saban has kiboshed the transfer request of defensive back Maurice Smith, who graduates today and wanted to complete his career at Georgia for new head coach Kirby Smart.
First and foremost, Smith has graduated from Alabama. He has fulfilled everyone's ultimate goal for the student-athlete by completing his degree.
If the archaic NCAA rules want to encumber the powerless athletes while the all-powerful coaches can move from school to school at their leisure, well, that's another discussion. But to limit the options of a kid who has graduated and wants to do something different somewhere different is petty. And wrong.
And shortsighted, considering Alabama has been more than happy to welcome in transferring contributors from a variety of locales, including from within the SEC.
This is a terrible look for Saban on a multitude of levels. First, he and his program are hiding behind the fine print of an SEC rule that many schools - including Alabama in the case of Chris Black - have circumvented plenty of times.
Of course, they will squabble about the details about this clause or that clause. The most important difference between Black and Smith for Saban is that Black was no longer viewed as being able to help the program and Smith is a potential starter. That's not obiding by SEC rules; that's a self-serving move that is all part of Saban's process.
Hey, it's one of the reasons why he's great, but that does not make it right.
The optical truth here is that Alabama's position - and Saban's bully-pulpit theatrics when asked about it all of two times Thursday night - are at best blurry and at worst double-visioned hypocritical.
Saban is the same guy who chastised the media last month at SEC media days for saying Cam Robinson should be suspended rather than punished internally. A big part of that diatribe from Saban was that he was trying to help Robinson.
So a kid who was arrested in Louisiana needs and gets Lord Saban's help, but a kid who has done everything right and graduated on time who wants a little help from Saban doesn't deserve it because of the fine print on an optional SEC rule? Oh, that makes a ton of sense.
Saban embraced the fine print of a technicality because Smith can help Alabama, just like he looked the other way this summer because Robinson is likely the most indispensable Tide offensive player.
One of the basics of the transfer rule for players within the conference is to avoid teams getting inside info about rival programs. And that makes sense in most cases, but it seems a little over the top here since Kirby Smart is the new Georgia coach. And since Smart spent almost a decade working under Saban, there's not anything Smith can bring that Smart already hasn't brought.
And this is not even broaching the subject about the allegations that Smith's locker was trashed and his personal items were thrown away after news got out that he wanted to transfer.
Of course, Saban fielded two questions on this issue Thursday, avoiding the second one with a thrustful and bullying response to a reporter that included, "You want me to do a Belichick on you?"
What kind of childish example is that? Some one - a professional, mind you, doing his job - has a question, and if you don't like it you threaten them and bully them? Class move, Coach. Really.
So no one asked him about the reported story of Smith's locker, because Saban got his way like most bullies do. Still, knowing how things work, if there was any untruth to that report, here's a hearty belief that Saban assuredly would have addressed those inaccuracies way before any question was asked, never mind avoided.
That silence from Saban speaks louder than the threats and the glares and everything else.
Alabama is the class of college football, and Nick Saban may be the greatest coach ever to wear a headset.
And how the program and its leader have handled this entire Maurice Smith affair proves even the best can look like the worst.
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6343. Follow him on Twitter @jgreesontfp.