It’s official now. You can see the timeline of events here.

I find it hilarious that of all things he’s catching a lot of heat for “lying” and bailing on his Miami commitment for a higher-paying job. Isn’t this the world of sports we’re talking about?

What does it mean for Georgia? There are a few angles.

Recruiting
Saban will increase Alabama’s recruiting presence to some degree. They might or might not get the same caliber of classes they had at LSU, but that’s irrelevant right now. What I think it will mean is a bit more pressure on prospects from the state of Georgia either directly from Alabama or indirectly as Auburn and some others feel the trickle-down from recruiting success in Tuscaloosa.

UGA vs. Alabama
Bama makes a coaching change just in time for Georgia to visit Tuscaloosa. While it’s a bit much to expect Saban to turn things around in the first month of his first season, consecutive home games against Arkansas and Georgia will be his first tests, and of course he will be at his best for those games. 2008 could be even more interesting. If Saban has Bama rebuilt well enough to have the kind of second season that guys like Richt and Meyer had, the 2008 game in Athens with a junior Stafford leading Georgia could be a classic. There is some precedent in Saban’s past. His first year at LSU was decent enough with a trip to the Peach Bowl, but he won the SEC in his second season.

SEC Balance of Power
To be honest, I don’t think this hiring will cause tremendous shockwaves in the SEC. Bama has a ways to go to catch up with Auburn and LSU. Tuberville’s not exactly shaking; he’s 3-2 vs. Saban. Even if they do make up some ground, things won’t be much different than they were in the early 2000s – just swap Franchione for Les Miles. A lot of pressure will be on Arkansas to keep up – that Sept. 15, 2007 Alabama-Arkansas game will be a fight for territory in the SEC West.