Nick Saban questions the strength of the schedule factor in CFP as Alabama misses the field
Former Alabama coach Nick Saban intends for strength of schedule to be a real factor when it comes to the rankings and seeds for the College Football Playoff on Sunday.
Saban watched as his old team was left out of the 12-team field while SMU managed to get into the bracket despite losing the ACC Championship to Clemson. Alabama is ranked 11th in penalties but failed to find a way into the final bracket bracket.
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Former Crimson Tide football coach Nick Saban watches the basketball game between Alabama and the Texas A&M Aggies at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa on Feb. 17, 2024. (Gary Cosby Jr.-USA Today Sports)
Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne revealed late Saturday that the Crimson Tide was No. 3 in opponent winning percentage and had three wins against teams in the CFP poll before the bracket was released. He wrote in X that “the power of principle is essential.”
But Saban suggested to ESPN that Alabama might have been considered too much if the strength of the program really mattered.
“I think one of the things I’ve emphasized throughout this football season is that if we don’t pay attention to planning, is there any benefit in planning teams that play well in the future,” said Saban. “Like, here at Alabama, having to play Notre Dame, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Florida State next time out of the (SEC).
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Nick Saban and family are honored with the renaming of Nick Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on September 7, 2024. (Gary Cosby Jr.-USA Today Network via Magn Images)
“Well, those are great games for the fans to see – and that’s what I think we should do in college football, create a collection of great games that people are interested in – but you’re promoting people who want to do that when the athletic director is going to do it, he might cancel all those games now knowing that the SEC it’s hard enough.”
Saban said, however, that he thought the 12 best teams in college football were represented in the bracket.
“But at the same time I think the best teams are in the tournament, which I think is very important,” Saban said. “And no coach should have a complaint about his situation in terms of entering the finals or exiting the finals because they were all in control of their future and they all had opportunities. They had mistakes and bad losses that affected their situation.
Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer warms up before the game against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Bryant-Denny Stadium. (Will McLelland-USA Today Sports)
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“So, this can be a lesson for each team and everyone in those teams.”
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