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NEW ORLEANS - The day will come, for one or the other, when the lure becomes too great.
Maybe it'll be too tempting for the older coach with an obsession for drudgery. Or it'll be too attractive for the younger coach with an appetite for glory. Perhaps, in the end, they both will give in to the siren's call.
An NFL general manager will get word to LSU coach Nick Saban that a perfect situation has come available. An NFL owner will ring up Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops and convince him, finally, the time is right.
You see, in the NFL, they can write their agenda. They can see their names on the marquee. They can make more money than either ever imagined.
But, for now? They will pass.
Today, they'd rather make history.
"The NFL is not the end-all, by a long shot," Stoops said. "When you're at a great college program - and I would guess Nick feels this way because I know I do - we have better jobs than a good number of NFL coaches.
"I'm sure there are a lot of those NFL guys who would love to have the jobs we have. So, no, I don't think the NFL's a step up, at all. It's just something different."
This is their bond. More than their backgrounds as defensive coaches. More, even, than their places in tonight's Sugar Bowl.
Saban and Stoops are linked as commodities. As would-be saviors in a sport that is forever pursuing their kind. They are, in a word, hot.
Truth be told, Saban was not the first name considered in Baton Rouge when the LSU job opened in 2000. Or even the second.
When the search committee went into its interview with Saban, the members were not sure they wanted him. That was fair, because Saban was not sure he wanted LSU.
He had a legal pad with a list of questions and, in no time at all, the interview seemed to turn around. Saban was running the show. Before the end of the interview, without any discussion among committee members, LSU's chancellor offered Saban the job.
"Coach Saban will tell you what he thinks, not what you want to hear," offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher said. "A lot of times, people are afraid to tell you the difference between right and wrong. Coach Saban is not. He tells you what you need to hear."
This was the school no one could figure out. The program no one could revive. Louisiana was fertile ground for future NFL players and LSU has terrific fan support, but the Tigers had a losing record in the SEC in eight of the past 11 seasons.
Once the search committee assured Saban the proper support was in place, he promised LSU would compete for the SEC title by his fourth season.
Two years later, the Tigers won the league. Two years after that, they are playing for a share of the national championship.
"He's brought a professional attitude to the team," linebacker Lionel Turner said. "He's taught me to be a man, not just a football player."
There is talk about the difficulty coaches have going from college to the NFL. People pointing at Steve Spurrier as if his failure is universal.
In reality, Spurrier and Saban have little in common. Spurrier is cocky and carefree. Saban is reserved and meticulous. Spurrier had no experience as an NFL coach. Saban spent five years in the league, including three as Bill Belichick's defensive coordinator in Cleveland. Spurrier would rather golf. Saban would prefer to dissect another game tape.
He may not be an easy man to please - when he left Michigan State, none of Saban's assistants followed him to LSU - but Saban is loosening up.
"I'm a very happy person. I've been happily married for 32 years, I have two wonderful children," Saban said. "Now if I look unhappy, I apologize. But I'm not unhappy. I wish I would naturally smile, but it's important for me to be who I am. I'm honest. I believe in integrity, loyalty, I try to be truthful. So if I'm too serious, I apologize. If I'm not happy enough, I apologize. But I am happy in my heart."
Sometime soon, another NFL team will call. If they're smart, they'll wait until after 8:45 a.m.
Before that, Stoops likely is driving the minivan in the neighborhood carpool.
This is the allure of Stoops. Unprecedented success, mingled with down-home charm. A guy of high expectations, yet low maintenance.
Staff meetings never begin before 8:45 a.m. because Stoops insists his coaches have time to spend with their children. Every other week, game planning is put on hold on Wednesday night so the families can gather for an informal dinner party.
If Saban, 52, is the studious overachiever, than Stoops, 43, is the easygoing prodigy. Success doesn't just come often for Stoops, but effortlessly. He has been at Oklahoma five seasons and has had flirtations from several NFL teams and Florida after Spurrier's departure.
And why not? Stoops did not just return Oklahoma to its former glory, he has done it with remarkable speed and ease.
"We were hiding from everything in our building," Stoops said. "I put it right back in front of them."
In the 10 years before his arrival, the Sooners did not play in a New Year's bowl game. The past four seasons, they've been in the Orange, Cotton, Rose and Sugar. His winning percentage (.846) is the highest in Oklahoma history and, like Barry Switzer, he could win two national titles in his first five years. Stoops also has a unique brand of charm. An arrogance hidden by the softness of his tone. An ability to manipulate a conversation and, in the process, convert a listener to his point of view.
"From the day he recruited me, he's talked about nothing but championships," defensive lineman Dusty Dvoracek said. "That's his style. Shooting for the best, all the time."