It’s a great time to be a fan of the New England Patriots, and it all has to do with…Alabama head coach Nick Saban?
Saban’s team fell to Georgia on Monday in the College Football Playoff National Championship, his fourth loss in the eight-year history of the CFP. Each of the previous three times, Bill Belichick and the Patriots won the Super Bowl that same year.
In fact, from 2014 to 2018, Belichick and Saban took turns winning titles in alternate years.
2014: Patriots win Super Bowl XLIX over Seahawks (Alabama lose in CFP semis to Ohio State)
2015: Alabama wins CFP title game over Clemson (Patriots lose AFC Championship to Broncos)
2016: Patriots win Super Bowl LI over Falcons (Alabama lose CFP title game to Clemson)
2017: Alabama wins CFP title game over Georgia (Patriots lose Super Bowl LII to Eagles)
2018: Patriots win Super Bowl LIII over Rams (Alabama lose CFP title game to Clemson)
2019: Neither team wins a title
2020: Alabama wins CFP title game over Ohio State (Patriots miss playoffs)
For those who believe the universe is conspiring to make sure one of these two coaching legends win a title almost every year (but not in the same year), it’s a good time to put money on the Pats. New England has +2000 odds on Tipico Sportsbook to win Super Bowl LVI, tied for eighth longest of any team in the playoffs.
The precedent actually extends beyond the CFP – kind of. Prior to 2014, the Pats’ previous Super Bowl title came in 2004. That predates the CFP and Saban’s time, but it was another year Saban lost a bowl game. It was his final year with LSU and they lost in the Capital One Bowl (now known as the Citrus Bowl). 2003 is the only time the two have won titles in the same year.