The CheckerBoard

I believe so, but a lot of that comes from ESPN endorsing him with "Gruden's QB Camp," and him being the announcer on Monday night football.

I'd be most interested in two things IF Gruden came:

1) Would Gruden reduce the complexity of his offense? I remember reading that his version of the west coast was one of the densest and most complex. To me, that doesn't bode well for 20 year olds.

2) Who would he bring in for DC? There may not be a more important question.

Absolutely, rule 1 for coaching is doing what your players can do, in the NFL he just always had the option to have it much more complex because of the veteran QB

Yes, not even close. Super Bowl winner, co-host of MNF, guy who the Eagles and others covet v. 1 National Title and a mediocre at best NFL career

He was saying when he came to Bama.

Gruden is a bigger name. There are 6 letters in "gruden" and only 5 letters in " saban"

Well he ended his NFL days with none other than our favorite DC - Monte Kiffin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OMG I can't even believe I knew that stupid bit of useless trivia.

a bigger name, yes. more proven / more of a sure thing, no.

as for the offense, he would probably run something between what he used to run and oregon's O as he spent some time with kelly picking his brain - seems to have a fascination for the spread, particularly their variety of it.

Not a chance. Saban had already won SEC championships and a National Championship at the college level. Gruden, although he has a Super Bowl ring, did it one year after Dungy with a good roster already in place. All that to be said, he's accomplished nothing on the NCAA level, which is ultimately different than the NFL.

1. Good coaches do whatever they have to do in order to win. He's a good coach.

2. TOS posters are toying with the idea of Ron Zook being DC. He was on staff at Tennessee when Gruden was a GA. Great recruiter and former NFL DC. I think he would be a very realisic DC candidate and I think Randy Shannon would be also. Zook doesn't have a job and Shannon is coaching LBs at TCU.. I'm sure Patterson will try to bring Shannon with him to Arkansas, but if you're Shannon who would you rather coach for? Another big name who is a realisitc possibility is Raheem Morris. He coached under Gruden at Tampa Bay and eventually became their HC. Not sure whow well he'd recruit, but he is black and the reality is that it helps. Right now, he's coaching DBs for the Redskins.

If we get Gruden, I think the most likely DC would be Zook, Shannon, or Morris.

He is a bigger name, but Saban is more respected in the college ranks being as Gruden hasn't spent a lot of time there himself. It's college respect vs. NFL respect.