Nick Saban

Ahead of No. 4 Alabama's Rose Bowl matchup with No. 1 Michigan in the College Football Playoff semifinal game, head coach Nick Saban isn't convinced that an expanded format would end the discussion regarding the teams qualifying for the playoffs.

"The big games are going to be the big games and there's always going to be speculation of who the best 12 teams are just like there's speculation now who the best four teams are," Saban said, per ESPN's Alex Scarborough.

Much of the discussion regarding the 2023 College Football Playoff selection was about the Crimson Tide, who earned the final spot after defeating Georgia in the SEC Championship game.

However, Florida State went undefeated in the regular season and finished with a 13-0 record by winning the ACC Championship game. Standout quarterback Jordan Travis suffered a season-ending leg injury in the Seminoles' Week 12 win over North Alabama. With Travis out, the CFP committee chose the Crimson Tide over a short-handed Florida State squad.

"In the eyes of the committee, Florida State is a different team without Jordan Travis," committee chairman Boo Corrigan said, per Sports Illustrated's Katie Windham. "One of the things we do consider is player availability. Our job is to rank the best teams, and in the final decision looking at it was Alabama at four and Florida State at five."

In the 2024 season, 12 schools will make the playoffs which would ensure that a team such as Florida State still gets a chance to compete for the National Championship. Saban feels that this could cause more debate among the teams on the fringe of the postseason picture as well as giving successful teams a bittersweet end to their respective seasons.

"One of the great traditions of college football for many years was if you had a great season, you got to go to a bowl game," he said, per Scarborough. "It's great for the players. They got a lot of positive reinforcement. Maybe you didn't win a championship but you had a good team."

"The more we expand the playoffs -- which I'm not against, I'm for -- it minimizes the importance of bowl games," Saban added.

Alabama will look to make the most of its late surge to enter the College Football Playoff, attempting to defeat quarterback Quinn Ewers and the Longhorns on Monday. Kickoff is at 5 p.m. ET.

Alabama defensive coordinator Kevin Steele believes that the only person who knows when Nick Saban will retire is the man himself.

Per ESPN's Chris Low, Steele said that he knows that there is a narrative floating around that Saban might retire if he can handle business in the College Football Playoff, but he assured fans that nobody knows there answer of whether or not Saban will retire after this season.

"I've heard it. So, yeah, it's always going to be out there, and I will tell you this: Nobody knows that answer except for him," Steele said.

At 72 years old, in his 17th season as Alabama's head coach, Saban has seen — and accomplished — just about everything possible. But Saban hasn't won a national championship since the 2020 season, so perhaps the legendary coach will be looking to end his career on top.

To do so, he'll first have to defeat Michigan, who Alabama will face in the CFP Semifinal on Monday.

Alabama is looking to reach a national championship game for the first time since the 2021 season when it lost to Georgia. Since Saban took over at Alabama in 2007, he has not gone more than two years without winning a national championship, and he's not ready to end that streak this year.

The Tide have been one of the best teams in college football since facing a loss to Texas in Week 2. That loss was their only one of the season, and they beat a then-No. 1 Georgia team in the SEC Championship to solidify themselves as the last team in the CFP.

But Alabama will have to get past a Michigan team that has looked just as dominant. The Wolverines come into the matchup undefeated, picking up convincing wins against Penn State and Ohio State before beating Iowa in the Big Ten Championship to earn the No. 1 seed in the CFP.

Saban's future remains unclear for fans, but he's looking to end this season by winning a national championship.

Nick Saban has sympathy for Florida State and the other teams that just missed out on reaching the College Football Playoff.

Saban's squad in Alabama, along with Michigan, Washington and Texas, will be the four teams featured in this year's CFP. The Crimson Tide were the last team in after beating Georgia in the SEC Championship.

After the game, Saban did his best to promote his team for the playoff. The legendary coach discussed his pitch on The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday.

"My responsibility and obligation is to our team," Saban said. "I did the best job that I could to promote what we've been able to accomplish in winning 11-straight games or whatever, beating the number one team in the country in Georgia. And we're a different team now than we were earlier in the season, so that was my obligation to our players and our team and I'm proud of them for the way they responded to it, I'm proud of them for the way they played in the SEC Championship game."

"We've won 11 straight games & beat the number 1 team in Georgia..

I'm proud of how we played in the SEC Championship & we've been on the outside looking in..

I also have compassion & feel bad for the teams that have an argument to get into the CFP & didn't" ~ Coach Saban pic.twitter.com/s8AiGapdOZ

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 7, 2023

Saban knows what it's like to just miss out on the College Football Playoff. Last season, Alabama was the No. 5 team in the final CFP rankings. That experience has helped him relate to some of the teams that were left out of the field.

"We've been on the other side of this. We've been on the outside looking in," Saban said. "We've been the team that didn't get in. We've been the fifth place team, so we kind of know how it feels."

While Saban is ultimately glad his team reached the CFP, he said that he has sympathy for some of the first teams out, like Florida State, which posted an undefeated record and an ACC Championship.

"I actually feel bad about it, because there really are a lot of teams this year who could make an argument to say, 'We should be there.' I get that," Saban said. "I feel great for our team, our team's worked hard. I'm glad that they have the opportunity to do what they have to do, be it playing another No. 1 team in the country in the Rose Bowl, they've worked hard for it, but I also feel bad for the teams that have an argument to into the playoff that didn't."

Saban and Alabama will take on Michigan in the CFP Semifinal on Jan. 1 at 5 p.m. ET.

Suffice it to say Nick Saban has heard about the displeasure regarding Alabama's inclusion in the College Football Playoff.

The Crimson Tide head coach told players during an awards banquet Sunday that over 250 people anonymously called him since Alabama was given the No. 4 seed by the CFP committee over Florida State.

"I've had probably over 250 anonymous callers today, calling me every name in the book, talking about how we shouldn't be in the playoff," Saban said, per Tony Tsoukalas of TideIllustrated. "So we still have naysayers out there. We still have players who don't believe in us."

The CFP committee shocked the world Sunday by excluding undefeated Florida State from the playoffs in favor of Texas and Alabama, who each have one loss. It was the first time in the CFP history that an undefeated Power Five team was not included in the final four teams, a decision that drew widespread scorn from fans across the nation.

Florida State reacting to missing out on the #CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/K0SwbkLwZm

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 3, 2023

"I am disgusted and infuriated with the committee's decision today to have what was earned on the field taken away because a small group of people decided they knew better than the results of the games," Florida State coach Mike Norvell said in a statement. "What is the point of playing games? Do you tell players it is OK to quit if someone goes down? Do you not play a senior on Senior Day for fear of injury? Where is the motivation to schedule challenging nonconference games?"

The decision to keep Florida State out of the playoff largely came down to the season-ending injury to quarterback Jordan Travis. The Seminoles won both of their games without Travis but did so in ugly fashion, squeaking by Florida and Louisville the past two weeks.

Alabama had perhaps the single best win of the season, taking down Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, but also was a week removed from needing a miracle 4th-and-goal conversion from Auburn's 31 yard line to defeat the Tigers.

Michigan's reaction to facing Alabama in the CFP semifinal 👀

(via @ESPNRittenberg) pic.twitter.com/OjNcHdTL8g

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) December 3, 2023

"Most of these people are from Florida," Saban said of the angered fans. "I don't know how in the hell they got my number, but it is out there."

Alabama is set to play Michigan in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.

The 2023 SEC Championship Game will mark the first meeting between Alabama and Georgia in 23 months.

Their last matchup was the 2022 College Football Playoff Championship won by the Bulldogs, who avenged their loss to 'Bama in the SEC title game five weeks earlier.

It was also the first time in five games Nick Saban was defeated by Kirby Smart, who was an assistant on Alabama's coaching staff for nine seasons before getting hired by Georgia in December 2015.

The stakes for Saturday's matchup are almost as high as that last meeting. Georgia is the No. 1 team in the nation and hasn't lost since the 2021 SEC Championship Game, a streak of 29 consecutive games.

Alabama is No. 8 in the College Football Playoff rankings with an outside shot to make the top four with a win. The Bulldogs could potentially still get in with a loss since they've been the No. 1 team in the nation since the first preseason poll was released in August.

Looking ahead to the epic matchup between the SEC superpowers, here is the biggest question for each team.

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How Does Jalen Milroe Perform vs. An Elite Defense?

Yes, it's simple and basic to single out the quarterback as the biggest question in a game between two great teams.

But there was a time earlier this season when Alabama's offense looked to be in real trouble. Jalen Milroe was benched for the third game of the season against South Florida after struggling the previous week in a 34-24 loss to Texas.

Things actually got worse in the South Florida game because true freshman Tyler Buchner was benched after going 5-of-14 for 34 yards in five drives that gained a total of 78 yards and resulted in five punts.

Ty Simpson replaced Buchner, going 5-of-9 for 73 yards. Alabama needed two second-half touchdowns to get a 17-3 win over the Bulls.

Since Milroe was put back in the starting lineup against Mississippi on Sept. 23, he's completed 67.9 percent of his attempts for 2,077 yards with 16 touchdowns and four interceptions.

Eight of those touchdowns have come in the past three games, including the 31-yard miracle on 4th-and-goal against Auburn last weekend to keep Alabama's SEC title and playoff hopes alive.

While there's no doubt Milroe has played much better as this season has gone on, the slate of defenses he's been doing it against is nothing compared to what he will see against Georgia.

Just going by points allowed per game, the best defense Milroe has played during this streak was Texas A&M five weeks before Jimbo Fisher was fired by the program.

Georgia ranks sixth in the nation with 15.8 points allowed per game. Georgia Tech was able to hang around with the Bulldogs last week by running for 205 yards and not asking quarterback Haynes King to do too much.

It's certainly possible that formula could work for Alabama, though Jase McClellan's status for this game is up in the air due to a foot injury. McClellan and Roydell Williams have combined for 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground.

Milroe is capable of using his legs to create plays that can cause problems for Georgia if its defense doesn't stay disciplined.

But the odds of 'Bama being able to do enough on offense by limiting Milroe as a passer seem pretty low, especially since the defense has allowed at least 20 points to each of its last six FBS opponents.

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Will Georgia's Offensive Line Continue to Hold Up?

Georgia has done a great job of navigating several key injuries this season, most notably to Ladd McConkey and Brock Bowers. Head coach Kirby Smart has said both players will attempt to play on Saturday.

If either or both of them are back and effective in this game, it will provide a huge boost to the Bulldogs' passing game. Bowers, who has missed three games this season, still leads the team 661 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

The biggest test for Georgia will be on the offensive line. Tate Ratledge is dealing with a knee injury that kept him out of last week's win over Tennessee, but is expected to play against Alabama.

Per CBS Sports' Barrett Sallee, the Bulldogs rank in the top 11 nationally in sacks allowed and tackles for loss allowed per game.

On the other side of the line, Alabama is tied for 10th in the nation with 36 sacks. Dallas Turner, Chris Braswell and Justin Eboigbe all have at least 10.5 tackles for loss.

As good as the Crimson Tide pass rush has been, Smart and the Georgia staff were no doubt studying last week's tape against Auburn.

The Tigers controlled most of that game by building their game plan almost entirely around running the ball. They had 244 yards and two touchdowns on 44 carries. Payton Thorne only attempted 16 passes, completing five of them for one touchdown and two interceptions.

If Auburn was able to have that much success against Alabama with its quarterback playing so poorly, Georgia will presumably be able to do more because it has more talent.

Prediction: Georgia 34, Alabama 27

As Alabama football prepares to take on the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs in Saturday's SEC championship game, head coach Nick Saban called the months leading up to it "one of the most fun seasons we've had."

"That transition seeing the players grow and develop has been kind of different than having the expectation that you're going to win every game... You're trying to prove something," Saban said Friday on the SEC Network, per 247Sports' Mike Rodak.

The upcoming championship contest represents a rematch of the 2021 SEC title game, where the Crimson Tide defeated the Bulldogs 31-24 to earn a ticket to the CFP.

Even if Alabama repeats that victory with a Saturday upset, however, the team is not going to be guaranteed a repeat trip to the CFP.

Alabama is ranked No. 8 by the CFP Selection Committee, and the Crimson Tide could potentially be fighting more highly-ranked one-loss teams, like No. 5 Oregon and No. 7 Texas, for the last spot available in the four-team playoffs.

Especially if the last spot comes down to a choice between Texas and Alabama, the Crimson Tide will be at a disadvantage. Alabama's one loss this season came at the hands of the Longhorns.

But Saban has argued either Alabama or Georgia needs to be among the final four teams playing. The Alabama head coach told reporters Thursday that not having an SEC team in the CFP would "be a disrespect to the SEC."

The Crimson Tide coach repeated that message Friday, per Rodak.

"If you look at strength of schedule, if you look at how many games their opponents won, how many games our opponents won— two really good teams are playing in this game, and it should be represented some kind of way on the national level," Saban said. "Because this is the best conference when it comes how many good teams are in this conference, from top to bottom. That in and of itself speaks volumes about what should get done."

Before Saban can continue lobbying for Alabama's place in the CFP, the Crimson Tide will need to beat the undefeated Bulldogs. Kickoff takes place in Atlanta at 4 p.m. ET.

Nick Saban wants to make sure Alabama doesn't get left out of the College Football Playoff as a one-loss team if it beats Georgia in the SEC Championship Game this weekend.

The head coach told reporters on Thursday it would be a "disrespect to the SEC if there isn't an SEC representation in the [CFP]."

"I think the SEC is one of the best conferences in the country," he added. "I think Georgia is one of the best teams in the country. I think they're one of the best four teams in the country. I think if we beat them, we'd be one of the best four teams in the country."

It's a moot point if Georgia beats Alabama on Saturday evening, of course. The Bulldogs are the two-time defending national champions and the top-ranked team in the sport. They'll be the top seed in the playoff if they win on Saturday.

But Alabama finds itself in a bit of a pickle. The Crimson Tide are ranked just eighth by the CFP Selection Committee, and one of the teams ahead of them is the one-loss Texas Longhorns, which beat Alabama—in Tuscaloosa, no less—earlier in the season.

If Alabama leapfrogged Texas to get into the CFP—assuming the Longhorns win on Saturday—it would be incredibly controversial.

There is no need to fathom the SEC champ, beating Georgia, and not getting in. It's not happening.
Bama wins and it's getting in. In fact, if Bama wins it only increased the chances of two SEC teams.

— Ralph D. Russo (@ralphDrussoATH) November 29, 2023

Last thought...I don't see any way that the committee could include Bama and not Texas...That would be far more egregious than leaving out an FSU team that doesn't have their QB and is clearly not going to be competitive

— Joel Klatt (@joelklatt) November 30, 2023

But that's just the beginning. At present, four teams—Georgia, Michigan, Washington and Florida State—are all undefeated. Behind them, three teams with one loss—Oregon, Ohio State and Texas—are ranked above Alabama.

All of those teams except for Ohio State will be playing in their respective conference championship games on Friday or Saturday.

Oregon could throw everything into chaos with a win over Washington, which would mean the pair of schools split the season series. That could potentially lead to both Pac-12 schools getting into the four-berth playoff, or the Committee deciding to leave out Washington, which wouldn't be a popular choice amongst Huskies' faithful.

And what will the Committee do about Florida State?

If they beat Louisville on Saturday night they'll be undefeated, but star quarterback Jordan Travis is out for the season with a leg injury. Is an undefeated Florida State team without its key offensive player better than some of the one-loss teams behind them? Probably not, but would it nonetheless be ridiculous to punish them for an injury if they don't have a blemish on their schedule?

The thought that Florida State might not get in the College Football Playoff even if the Seminoles beat Louisville is utterly insane. Body of work matters.

— Barrett Sallee 🇺🇸 (@BarrettSallee) November 29, 2023

CFP executive director Bill Hancock said the committee's job is to rank the four BEST teams, and that "most deserving is not anything in the committee's lexicon. They are there to rank the best teams in order, and that's what they do, so just keep that in mind."

— Heather Dinich (@CFBHeather) November 29, 2023

It's possible this will all be fairly simple, of course. Wins from Georgia, Michigan and Washington will lock in three playoff teams, setting up a debate for the fourth playoff berth. A Florida State loss in this scenario would mean that the Committee would be left to decide between Ohio State or Texas, assuming it wins the Big 12 Championship Game.

But if any of Georgia, Michigan or Washington loses, absolute chaos will ensue. Saban wants to ensure his Crimson Tide get in with a win on Saturday, but at this point it's anybody's guess as to how this whole thing will shake out.