‘Company Man [Nick] Saban Slinging That SEC BS’ — Ex-ESPN Star Sides With Miami HC Mario Cristobal in SEC-ACC Clash

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Mario Cristobal’s Miami Hurricanes silenced plenty of doubters with their incredible 2025 season, which also challenged the long-standing narrative of SEC dominance. However, former Alabama head coach Nick Saban remains a staunch defender of the SEC and refuses to embrace that argument, drawing a sharp response from former ESPN personality Danny Kanell.

Danny Kanell Unleashes on Nick Saban Amid Mario Cristobal’s ACC Push

Saban was one of the main figures behind the SEC’s long stretch of dominance in college football, but that era seems to be shifting.

Michigan won the CFP title to close the 2023 season, followed by Ohio State and Indiana winning the championship in consecutive seasons for the Big Ten. If another Big Ten team wins the national title in 2026, talk of Big Ten supremacy will only grow louder.

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Saban also knows that the Big Ten is a strong conference and continues to improve in terms of overall depth. Meanwhile, he has found himself under fire from the ACC after revealing on Friday’s episode of “The Pat McAfee Show” that Cristobal regularly tries to convince him that the ACC is better than the SEC.

However, Saban remains adamant that Cristobal will never persuade him that the ACC has surpassed the SEC. It prompted an explosive response from Kanell, who took aim at Saban.

“Company man Saban is the one slinging that SEC BS,” Kanell wrote on X. “After losing to 2 ACC teams in regular season, the Canes man-handled Texas AM at Kyle Field – the place every SEC fan says is impossible to win. Overpowered Ohio State. Beat Ole Miss. The Canes are 5-0 vs SEC in last 5 games.”

Kanell has a legitimate argument when it comes to Miami’s recent success. The Hurricanes faced heavy criticism after being selected for the College Football Playoff last season, but they ultimately advanced farther than any SEC team in the postseason.

In fact, Cristobal’s team eliminated two SEC opponents, defeating Texas A&M 10-3 and Ole Miss 31-27. Miami then reached the National Championship Game before losing to Indiana, and that run gives Cristobal plenty of ammunition in the conference debate.

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Saban also pointed to the SEC’s strength in the preseason AP Top 25, as nine SEC teams made the rankings. By comparison, only three ACC teams cracked the preseason Top 25: No. 7 Miami, No. 19 SMU, and No. 24 Louisville.

However, preseason rankings are hardly proof of what will happen on the field. They primarily show that voters expect the SEC to remain considerably stronger than the ACC in 2026. For example, Texas entered the 2025 season ranked No. 1 but failed to reach the CFP, while Miami successfully made the CFP.

The ACC may have fewer elite programs than the SEC, but the SEC’s grip on college football seems to be weakening.

PFN currently gives Miami a 74.2% chance of reaching the CFP in 2026. If Cristobal can lead the Hurricanes back to the championship game and potentially win it this time, his argument for ACC superiority would become even stronger.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.

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