Saban was “going to the next play,” Burke said, and that turned out to be Louisiana State University in 2000. His decision to leave MSU came after a 9-2 regular season finish in 1999 and before the team’s Citrus Bowl victory over Florida.

“I don’t know if there is a right way or a great way to say that you are leaving,” Burke said, who was a quarterback under Saban from 1995-99.

Burke says that now being 15 years removed from college, it is interesting how his perspective on the situation has come to terms.

“When you are a player you are 19, 20, 21 years old … you are somewhat naïve and you don’t really know what is going on, you just sort of go with the flow,” Burke said.

When the rumors started to fly, Burke says the team didn’t really think anything of it. But when the announcement was made, he says it was just the nature of the business.

“He just called a team meeting early and told us in about 10 minutes that he was leaving and it was best for his family. He stood at the door and shook everybody’s hand on their way out and that was basically it. So it was kind of shocking to a degree, but you are taught as a football player that you are always looking forward.

“So that was kind of the attitude that a lot of us took.”

Saban, now in his ninth year as head coach at Alabama where he has won three national championships in four years, has been asked to recollect his time at MSU multiple times since the No. 3 MSU versus No. 2 Alabama semifinal was set.

“I love Michigan State, the 10 years that I was there, five as a defensive coordinator and five as a head coach,” Saban said during a Cotton Bowl teleconference on Dec. 6. “And really appreciate the opportunity that they gave me. And there's some really, really great people at Michigan State.”

Saban was defensive backs coach and defensive coordinator at MSU from 1983-87 prior to his tenure as head coach from 1995-99. Among the players he coached was Shane Bullough, a linebacker at MSU from 1983-86 and father of MSU junior linebacker Riley Bullough and redshirt-freshman linebacker Byron Bullough.

“What I remember from coach Saban is he was extremely intense,” Bullough said. “Meaning that I think I got one compliment from him the whole time I was there and that would not make me an outlier.

“Now, I do know him better than most so I do know there is another side to Nick. But in terms of when he’s coaching, when he is on, he is pretty much the most serious guy I have ever met.”

Saban’s teams struggled during his first few years as head coach at MSU, but the university was going through a period of citations that he was responsible for coaching through.

“Well, when I was there, it was a difficult time for Michigan State,” Saban said.

“I took the job and we were on probation and didn't really have the number of scholarships until the last year we were there. And, you know, we certainly had a good team that year. Probably not as good as Mark's teams have been the last couple three years.”

Burke says he thinks Saban ultimately changed the culture of the MSU football program and set the path for the successful Dantonio era.

“Certainly one of the best guys and he has proven that at LSU and of course Alabama and I think he was turning MSU around in the late 1990s,” Burke said.

But to Saban, his time at MSU was merely a learning experience in his coaching career. He says he still considers MSU a part of his life, nevertheless, he knows his reputation has been exceeded.

“So I think, you know, Mark has exceeded expectations of all of us in terms of what he's done at Michigan State and certainly done a better job than I ever did there,” Saban said.

“I can tell you that.”