Brian Kelly wants to defeat Nick Saban in his third time facing him, but he first celebrated his birthday.
Saban turned 71 on Monday and enjoyed time with his players, assistant coaches, and family. He has a date with his former program Saturday at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. Alabama’s road to a Southeastern Conference Championship and the College Football Playoff hinges on its performance against the Tigers. ESPN is ready for the action at 6:00 p.m. CT, but Kelly decided to wish Saban a happy birthday during his press conference. He hopes that wishing Saban a happy birthday will ‘soften things up.