Tommy Tuberville's Pitch to Alabama Fans in US Senate Race is That He's Responsible for Nick Saban

Former Auburn, Texas Tech and Cincinnati head coach Tommy Tuberville is making that classic late-career pivot from college football coach and analyst to senator, as he's running as a Republican for a senate spot in Alabama in 2020.

While his 13-0 season in 2004 and 85-40 overall record at Auburn might make him beloved with Tigers fans, fans of Alabama might not be very inclined to elect the guy who beat them year after year to high office. What's Tuberville's plan to win over Alabama fans? Claiming that he's the reason Bama was able to get Nick Saban.

Tuberville would routinely demolish Mike DuBose, Dennis Franchione and Mike Shula's Alabama teams in the Iron Bowl to such a degree that Bama had to swing for the fences and bring in Saban. The rest, as we say, is history.

This strategy might actually be working, as Tuberville is currently ahead of disgraced former judge Roy Moore and leading in the polls with 23 percent of the vote.

This move isn't totally unprecedented. Nebraska legend Tom Osborne served three terms in the House of Representatives. Hall of Fame wideout Steve Largent served four terms. A former Stanford tight end is running for president. His name is Cory Booker.

If Tuberville can win that finicky Crimson Tide demographic, expect to see him on Capitol Hill in 2020.