Nick Saban

Nick Saban may be retired, but the former Alabama head coach didn't hesitate to throw some shade at a former conference opponent.

During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Friday, Saban said he felt during his time with the Crimson Tide that Vanderbilt was the easiest environment to play in among SEC teams.

"The only place you're going to play in the SEC that's not hard to play, Vanderbilt. When you play at Vanderbilt, you have more fans there than they have, and that's no disrespect to them, it's the truth," Saban said (h/t Steve Samra of On3.com).

Vanderbilt plays at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville. The team announced that it had a sellout for its home opener against Virginia Tech in Week 1 with 28,934 fans in attendance. The Commodores defeated the Hokies 34-27 in overtime and followed that up with a 55-0 win at home against Alcorn State before suffering their first loss last week on the road against Georgia State.

Still, Nashville is a popular tourist destination, and Saban said he felt there were more Alabama supporters than Vanderbilt fans in attendance when the Crimson Tide would visit. He also explained that other SEC schools presented tougher atmospheres.

"We're at LSU and we go right down the field when Tua [Tagovailoa] is playing and we get down on the 20-yard-line, where the student section is, we got four straight false starts," Saban said. "The players are all going, shaking their heads like, 'I can't hear, I can't hear,' so it forces you to go on silent. Huge disadvantage, because the defensive line can watch the ball, the offensive line has to watch the ball, so you have no advantage in cadence, and it's — you're sitting there saying, 'This is tough.' When we played at Tennessee a couple of years ago and got beat up there, that was about as wild as a situation as you're ever going to get in."

Vanderbilt and Alabama will meet on Oct. 5, so perhaps the Commodores will use Saban's jab as motivation to earn their first win against the Crimson Tide since 1984.

Tua Tagovailoa's college coach hopes the Miami Dolphins quarterback will follow whatever advice he receives from doctors after suffering another concussion during Thursday's 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show (starts at :40 mark), Nick Saban explained that Tagovailoa's NFL future has to be determined by a "medical decision" from his doctors based on the information they glean from his test results.

"Tua is such a great competitor and he's a great person..

I think Tua and his family should listen to all the medical evidence and they shouldn't be influenced by anybody else" ~ Nick Saban #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/FXAnUWAzOP

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 13, 2024

Tagovailoa suffered a concussion in the third quarter when he lowered his head on a scramble for a first down. He ran into the chest of Bills safety Damar Hamlin before falling to the turf.

Skylar Thompson finished the game for Miami at quarterback. Head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters on Friday he didn't want to get into any speculation about Tagovailoa's playing future:

"I think it would be so wrong of me to even sniff that subject, and it's more in line of actually caring about the human being. You're talking about his career—his career is his ... I just wish that people would for a second hear what I'm saying, that bringing up his future is not in the best interest of him. So, I'm going to plead with everybody that does genuinely care that that should be the last thing on your mind because you don't, what do you think?"

This marks the third time since the start of the 2022 season that Tagovailoa has been officially diagnosed with a concussion.

During the 2022 season, the NFL and NFL Players Association agreed to update the league's concussion protocol in response to Tagovailoa being allowed to reenter a Week 3 game against the Bills after suffering an apparent head injury.

The Dolphins initially reported Tagovailoa was being evaluated for a head injury, but McDaniel said during his postgame press conference his quarterback was dealing with a lower-back issue.

Tagovailoa corroborated the story: "Kind of got my legs caught under someone, they were trying to push back and it felt like I hyper-extended my back or something. It kind of hurt. I got up, and that's kind of why I stumbled. My back kind of locked up on me. But for the most part, I'm good. Passed whatever concussion protocol they had."

Last season marked the first time in Tagovailoa's career he started every game since entering the NFL in 2020.

Saban coached Tagovailoa at Alabama for three seasons from 2017 to '19. He went 20-2 as a starter and appeared in 32 games. Tagovailoa finished second to Kyler Murray in Heisman voting for the 2018 season.

Nick Saban's name has been immortalized at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

The former Crimson Tide coach unveiled a sign that reads "Saban Field" in front of the stadium, which comes after the University decided to dedicate the playing field at the stadium to the 17-year head coach.

"This is a great honor to have the field named after the legacy that we've been able to create here," Saban told fans, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN).

"But I want this legacy to represent every player who played, who worked hard, every coach who helped those players develop, our administration who set a foundation where we had a chance to be successful."

Saban with the unveiling. pic.twitter.com/kGEqZM53yq

— Chase Goodbread (@ChaseGoodbread) September 7, 2024

Saban won six National Championships with Alabama and made the program the gold standard in college football. He retired following the 2023 season after leading the Crimson Tide to the College Football Playoff for the seventh time.

Saban will also receive an on-field recognition during halftime of the Crimson Tide's game against South Florida.

Saban Field 🏟️#RollTide pic.twitter.com/6DvCD90ux4

— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) September 7, 2024

He coached 235 games for the program, leading Alabama to a 206-29 overall record. He is the second-winningest head coach in Crimson Tide history, with Paul "Bear" Bryant being the only coach with more wins.

Saban finished his overall collegiate coaching career with a 297-71-7 record, which puts him sixth all-time. He won seven total national championships and his Alabama teams were the dominant force of the four-team playoff era.

As the sport continues to evolve, Saban's presence will always remain with the Alabama program when they descend on "Saban Field."

Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry was one of several former University of Alabama players to congratulate former Alabama head football coach Nick Saban on Saturday for a major honor the school bestowed upon him.

Henry, former New Orleans Saints and Ravens running back Mark Ingram, former New England Patriots linebacker Dont'a Hightower and former St. Louis Rams offensive lineman Barrett Jones all sent in videos in celebration of the University of Alabama rechristening the Bryant-Denny Stadium field as Saban Field:

“You’re the goat. … Not only did you make me a better player, you made me a better person as well.”

Derrick Henry and former Alabama players thank Coach Saban and congratulate him on the debut of Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium ❤️ pic.twitter.com/TRVsKGR3UV

— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 7, 2024

In the video package, which aired on ESPN College GameDay, Henry called Saban "the GOAT," and said the coach made him both a better player and a better person.

Saban retired from coaching at the conclusion of the 2024 season after leading the Crimson Tide to enormous success during his 17-year tenure.

Alabama went a remarkable 201-29 under Saban, winning six national championships and producing four Heisman Trophy winners in Ingram, Henry, wide receiver DeVonta Smith and quarterback Bryce Young.

The Tide also produced a ton of NFL talent while Saban was at the helm, and the legendary coach heralded the program's success in that regard on Saturday.

Saban said there are currently 61 Alabama players on NFL rosters, and they have signed contracts totaling $1.1 billion.

Bear Bryant has long been considered the standard at Alabama in terms of head football coaches, and while Saban didn't quite reach the 232 coaching wins Bryant had at Bama, Saban had 17 fewer losses and the same number of national titles.

When Saban took over at Alabama, the Tide were coming off a 6-7 season and hadn't won a national championship since 1992, but he left the program in far better shape than he found it.

Alabama is once again among the unquestioned elite programs in college football, and new head coach Kalen DeBoer already has a team capable of challenging for a national title in his first season.

Saban's impact on Alabama football is undeniable and it is only fitting that his name will forever be attached to the iconic venue at which the Crimson Tide play.

Former University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban went viral Saturday with his take on Ohio State's stacked roster.

Speaking on ESPN's College Gameday about the Buckeyes using name, image and likeness money to load up for the 2024 season, Saban said: "You guys keep talking about a $20 million roster, if you don't pay the right guys, you'll be s--t out of luck."

That’s life Coach Saban 😂😂😂#CollegeGameDay pic.twitter.com/8Bh8fOmvOm

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 31, 2024

Saban was referencing a comment recently made by OSU athletic director Ross Bjork, who told ESPN's Jake Trotter the school was able to assemble arguably the most talented team in college football in 2024 thanks to a $20 million NIL budget.

Despite going 11-1 during the 2023 regular season, Ohio State missed the final four-team College Football Playoff, marking the second time in three seasons that the Buckeyes were left out.

OSU also lost to rival Michigan for a third straight year, putting immense pressure on Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day to get the program back on track.

The NIL money undoubtedly aided Day in assembling a who's who of college football superstars for this season, as he landed quarterback Will Howard from Kansas State, running back Quinshon Judkins from Ole Miss and safety Caleb Downs from Alabama in the transfer portal.

He was also able to convince wide receiver Emeka Egbuka and pass-rusher JT Tuimoloau to return to school despite the notion that they could have been high picks in the 2024 NFL draft.

Ohio State seemingly always has a spectacular team on paper, but it is still on Day and the players to deliver.

Of course, with the CFP getting expanded to 12 teams this season, the Buckeyes will have far more margin for error during the regular season than they did in past years.

Top 25 voters clearly have a great deal of belief in the idea that Ohio State paid the right players given that the Buckeyes are ranked as the No. 2 team in the nation behind only a No. 1 Georgia team that won the national title in 2021 and 2022, and went 13-1 last season.

Still, Ohio State will have to make believers out of some skeptics after how the past several seasons have played out, as the program has not won a national championship since 2014.

The road to the CFP begins Saturday when Ohio State hosts MAC opponent Akron at Ohio Stadium in Columbus.

Nick Saban revealed his predictions for this season's College Football Playoff on Saturday's College Gameday, with Georgia, Ohio State, Florida State and Utah earning the first four seeds, respectively, as the projected conference champions in the SEC, Big Ten, ACC and Pac-12.

Nick Saban’s predicted Playoff field: pic.twitter.com/jMEmNACdpS

— Clint Lamb (@ClintRLamb) August 24, 2024

Texas, Oregon, Alabama (Saban's former school before his retirement), Ole Miss, Penn State, Notre Dame, LSU and Liberty rounded out the remaining seeds, in that order. That meant Saban projected five SEC schools to reach the CFB, while the Big Ten had three schools.

There were a few surprises in those predictions, most notably defending champion Michigan being absent from them altogether, though Saban generally fell in line with the Associated Press' preseason rankings.

Saban picking Georgia. Herbstreit picking Oregon. 🤨

— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) August 24, 2024

Nick Saban should be fun addition to ESPN Game Day. says reason he picked either Texas or Georgia to win SEC was to motivate Alabama. once a Crimson Tide guy, always a Tide guy.

— Dick Weiss (@HoopsWeiss) August 24, 2024

The top 12 in those rankings were Georgia, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas, Alabama, Ole Miss, Notre Dame, Penn State, Michigan, Florida State, Missouri and Utah, in that order.

Saban preferred LSU to either Michigan or Missouri, while he projected Liberty to be the highest-ranked conference champion outside of the top four conferences (the top-five ranked conference champions all get automatic bids, while the top four of those schools receive a first-round bye).

Nick Saban has LSU as the No. 11 seed in his CFP bracket. He reiterated his belief in Garrett Nussmeier and added:

"LSU always has skill guys. They're talking about all the receivers they lost -- you could shake a tree in Louisiana and them guys would fall out."

— Wilson Alexander (@whalexander_) August 24, 2024

One of the advantages to being the top-ranked team to not with a conference championship is a potential first-round matchup against a non-Power Four team, like Liberty. In Saban's projections, Texas would have such a matchup, and ostensibly would be huge favorites.

The 5-seed also would then get the easiest quarterfinals matchup as well. In Saban's predictions, that would be Utah. So all is certainly not lost for for teams who fail to win their conference, especially if they nab the No. 5 seed.

Nick Saban's first show as a part of the #CollegeGameDay family 🤝

We are happy to have you!! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Hf3ILoS0NN

— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) August 24, 2024

As for Saban, the retired former Alabama coach is entering his first season with ESPN's College GameDay. He surely ruffled a few feathers on his first day at the job with those playoff predictions.

Deion Sanders has earned the respect of legendary coach Nick Saban.

During an appearance on College GameDay, the former Alabama coach said that he thinks Sanders is handling the Colorado Buffaloes job well and that the team is poised to improve in 2024.

Nick Saban on @CollegeGameDay: “I’m all for Coach Prime, man. He’s doing a great job at Colorado. … I think they’ll take the next step as a team this year.”

— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) August 24, 2024

"I'm all for Coach Prime, man," Saban said. "He's doing a great job at Colorado. … I think they'll take the next step as a team this year."

Saban, arguably the greatest coach in the sport's history, compiled a 292-71-1 overall record in 28 seasons as a head coach and won seven national championships. One of those came with LSU in 2003 and the other six came with Alabama between 2009 and 2020.

He is the only coach to win a national title with two different FBS programs since the inception of the AP poll in 1936. His seven championships are the most ever for a FBS coach and he also coached four Heisman Trophy winners during his time with the Crimson Tide.

Sanders is entering his second season with Colorado and the job was always going to be a rebuild. The Buffaloes went 1-11 in 2022 and have not had a winning record in a full season since 2016.

Sanders led Colorado to an impressive 3-0 start in 2023, with wins over TCU and Nebraska. The Buffaloes proceeded to flounder and went 1-8 down the stretch to fall short of bowl eligibility.

As the team prepares to re-enter the Big 12, there is hope for improvement behind star quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way standout Travis Hunter.

Colorado opens the 2024 season on Aug. 29 against North Dakota State.

Nick Saban is still getting accustomed to his new gig as a college football analyst for ESPN, but he dropped what might count as a bold take on Saturday's episode of College Gameday.

The former Alabama head coach tabbed Georgia Tech as a "sleeper" in ACC this season.

Nick Saban has Georgia Tech as a "sleeper pick" in the ACC this year 👀#CollegeGameDay pic.twitter.com/JlWNvraFib

— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) August 24, 2024

It's not exactly like a Stephen A. Smith-style proclamation to say a team could be feisty, but Saban is still getting his media legs underneath him.

Saban did lay out a rational argument for why the Yellow Jackets could be a surprise team. He cited their offense being a top-three unit in the conference last season before explaining that new defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci and incoming transfers could lead to improved results on that side of the ball.

Georgia Tech finished 7-6 last season with a defense that ranked 97th out of 133 FBS teams in points allowed per game (29.5). Santucci joined head coach Brent Key's staff after spending last season at Duke as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.

The Blue Devils ranked 17th in points allowed per game last season (19.0). They held opponents to fewer than 20 points in seven of 13 games, including Clemson in a 28-7 season-opening victory.

Competition in the ACC figures to be even more difficult this year with California, SMU and Stanford joining the conference. Georgia Tech finished fourth in the ACC last year with a 5-3 record in conference play.

Georgia Tech's 7-6 record in 2023 marked the program's first winning season since 2018 (7-6). The program hasn't won at least 10 games in a season since going 11-2 in 2014 and lost to Florida State in the ACC Championship Game.

The Yellow Jackets have an opportunity to make Saban look smart on Saturday. They are taking on Florida State—ranked No. 10 in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25 poll—at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland.

Retired former Alabama head coach and new College Gameday analyst Nick Saban said Saturday morning that he took heat when Florida State missed out on the College Football Playoffs last season despite being undefeated.

"I just want Kirk [Herbstreit] to know, I got a thousand phone calls when we got the Playoff. He didn't have anything to do with them not getting in the Playoff, and I didn't either, but we both got hammered," he said. "I'm glad we got in, and they probably should have gotten in too, but at least we won't have that situation this year."

"I'm glad we got in, and they probably should have got in too."

Nick Saban just wants everyone to know ... he and Kirk had nothing to do with FSU missing out on the CFP 😅 #CollegeGameDay pic.twitter.com/WeWg7YEVnz

— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) August 24, 2024

The CFB Committee found themselves in an impossible position last offseason, with six viable contenders four the four playoff berths. Undefeated Michigan got in without drama, leaving the undefeated Seminoles, a trio of one-loss major conference champions in Washington, Texas and Alabama and a Georgia team that spent most of its season at No. 1 but suffered its lone loss against the Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship Game.

Ultimately, the committee left out Florida State—which was without quarterback Jordan Travis and had floundered offensively down the stretch, despite remaining undefeated—and Georgia. Alabama lost an overtime thriller against Michigan in the CFP semifinals, and the Wolverines went on to win the title.

This year, the format will expand to 12 teams, hopefully avoiding the sort of mess that left a pair of deserving teams out of the dance.

Nick Saban isn't feeding his former team any rat poison.

The former Alabama head coach recently picked Georgia and Texas to play in the SEC title game, and he explained his decision on The Pat McAfee Show on Friday.

It's kind of reverse rat poison. I always hated it, and I'm going to hate it on this show, I might as well say it, on this show or any show or (College) GameDay," Saban said (3:53 mark). "Having to predict and make hypothetical decisions about who's going to win a game, who's going to win a championship, who's going to win what conference. I've always hated that. So I picked Georgia and Texas, because it's reverse rat poison for Alabama. It's a motivating factor for them not to get picked, because I hated to get picked first or second because you don't know how that's going to impact your team psychologically.

Saban, who retired following the end of the 2023 season, constantly preached about not taking the "rat poison" that was preseason hype around his Alabama teams. The legendary coach believed that if his team listened too much to what people were saying about his team, they could let it go to their heads and not perform to the best of their abilities.

That mindset of ignoring the outside noise worked well for Saban and the Crimson Tide, as Alabama won six national championships during his tenure.

Now that he's not on the sideline, Saban is hoping his players will remember his message to avoid the "rat poison" and focus on winning games.

Alabama will begin its first season without Saban on the sideline since 2006 when it takes on Western Kentucky on Aug. 31.