EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Nick Saban might be the best college football coach in the country, yet for Michigan State, it's hard to imagine a better fit than Mark Dantonio.
Saban all but conceded that point after his Alabama team was paired against Dantonio and the Spartans for this year's national semifinals.
"I think Mark has done far more than I ever dreamed that I could have done at Michigan State," Saban said.
>> Get the most out of your Ohio State experience, follow @BuckeyeXtra on Twitter
Saban and Dantonio, who worked on the same staff when Saban coached the Spartans from 1995-99, will be on opposite sidelines when second-ranked Alabama faces third-ranked Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl on Thursday night.