Nick Saban back to vintage form with disappointed reaction after referees nullify Jalen Milroe's 74-yard touchdown

Nick Saban may have retired, but he’s not letting his Alabama Crimson Tide off the hook that easily. During Alabama’s Saturday night matchup against South Florida, the legendary coach was spotted in full-on "vintage Saban mode" after a controversial play nullified a 74-yard touchdown by Jalen Milroe.

What could have been a crucial moment for the Tide was called back on a repeat holding penalty, and Saban’s reaction was one for the history books. The ESPN cameras cut to Saban on the sideline, arms crossed, shaking his head in disapproval—a familiar sight for Bama fans.

While Saban is not responsible for delivering on the field, as the saying goes, “Old habits die hard,” Saban wasn’t thrilled with Alabama's shaky performance. While they were up 14-6 at halftime against a lower-caliber South Florida team, their performance wasn’t up to Saban’s standards.

Saban’s reaction reminded everyone that, even in retirement, he expects Alabama to dominate every game. It’s a rare sight to see the Crimson Tide struggle, and one can only imagine the "I'm not mad, just disappointed" speech that Saban would deliver if he were still in charge.

Jalen Milroe carrying Nick Saban's former team against South Florida

Alabama's Week 2 clash with South Florida turned out to be a much closer affair than many would have thought. At the end of the third quarter, the Crimson Tide were leading 14-13.

Although not as dominant as their season opener, DeBoer’s team showed resilience.

South Florida didn’t come to Tuscaloosa to fulfill an obligation or out of formality; they came out strong, to win, and to take the game to Alabama. They surprised fans with a 34-yard field goal to take an early 3-0 lead.

However, Milroe had other ideas, he didn’t want to disappoint his fomer coach – Nick Saban who was honored before the game that was being played on Saban field at the Bryant-Denny stadium, with the 72-year-old keeping tabs on his former team from the sidelines.

He took matters into his own hands and quickly responded with a 10-yard touchdown run to reclaim the lead. While South Florida narrowed the gap, Alabama held on, with Milroe adding a second rushing touchdown.

The Bulls made a valiant push in the third quarter but missed opportunities, and penalties hindered their chances. The game eventually ended with Alabama winning 42-16 to make it two wins in two.