Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban focused on strength of schedule being a real factor when it came to rankings and placement for the College Football Playoff on Sunday.
Saban watched as his old team was left out of the 12-team field, while SMU was able to get into the bracket despite losing the ACC Championship to Clemson. Alabama was placed number 11 in the penultimate rankings, but failed to make its way to the unveiling of the final bracket.
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Former Crimson Tide head football coach Nick Saban watches a basketball game between Alabama and the Texas A&M Aggies at the Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa on February 17, 2024. (Gary Cosby Jr.-USA Today Sports)
Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne pointed out late Saturday that the Crimson Tide was No. 3 in opponents’ winning percentage and had three wins against teams in the CFP poll before the bracket was released. He wrote on X that “the strength of the schedule matters.”
But Saban suggested on ESPN that Alabama might be more considered if the strength of its schedule really mattered.
“I think one of the things I’ve mentioned this football season is that if we don’t take the strength of the schedule into account, there’s some upside to scheduling really good teams in the future,” Saban said. “Like here in Alabama, who should be playing Our LadyOhio State, Wisconsin, Florida State in the future outside the (SEC).
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Nick Saban and his family will be 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 Imagn Images)
“Well, those are great games that the fans can see – and that’s what I think we should be doing in college football, creating more offerings for great games that people are interested in – but can you improve people who want to do that? “What is the athletic director going to do, he can cancel all those games now that he knows the SEC is strong enough.”
However, Saban did say he thought the best 12 teams in college football were represented in the bracket.
“But at the same time, I think the best teams are in the playoffs, which I think is the most important,” Saban said. And no coach should have any complaint about his circumstances relative to getting into the play-offs or out of the play-offs, because they all controlled their own destiny and all had opportunities. They had a number of shortcomings and heavy losses that contributed to their circumstances.
Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer during warmups before the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers game at Bryant-Denny Stadium. (Will McLelland-USA Today Sports)
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“So this could be a learning lesson for every team and every individual on those teams.”
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