‘He’s Just Salty’, ‘(Nick) Saban Needs to Pick a Lane’ — CFB Fans Vehemently Disagree as Legendary HC Takes a Shot At Big Ten Conference
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The Big Ten may have enjoyed considerable success in the College Football Playoff in the last few years, but that alone does not make it clearly superior to the SEC, according to former Alabama coach Nick Saban.
He once again made his stance clear in favor of the SEC, triggering plenty of reactions from the college football community.
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All 16 SEC teams opened the year with wins, including a dominant performance by Lane Kiffin’s LSU as the Tigers crushed Dabo Swinney and Clemson 51-10. Ole Miss also picked up a 41-38 win over Louisville, and the strong opening weekend gave Saban plenty to praise about the SEC’s overall depth.
During Friday’s edition of “The Pat McAfee Show,” McAfee asked Saban whether he believed the SEC had become even deeper this season.
Saban used the opportunity to take a shot at the Big Ten while making his case for the SEC’s depth.
“We’ve already got nine teams in the top 25,” Saban said. “It’s not like the Big Ten where there’s three good teams at the top and then nothing.”
Saban’s comment did not sit well with many college football fans, who quickly started to criticize the former Alabama coach.
“Big 10 retired him and has run the show since; he’s just salty,” one fan remarked.
“He says this every year. And they always get beat by the Big Ten teams. Does he ever get tired of this?” another exclaimed.
“Does it really matter tho? If the Big Ten wins the Natty, who cares about depth?” a third person said.
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The SEC certainly has a strong history behind its reputation, as the conference captured 13 of the 17 national championships awarded between 2006 and 2022. Its dominance also includes an incredible run of seven consecutive titles from 2006 through 2012, but the balance of power appears to have shifted in the last few years.
The Big Ten has claimed the last three national championships, with Michigan, Ohio State, and Indiana each bringing home the championship trophy. Meanwhile, the SEC has not appeared in any of those three national championship games.
Based purely on recent results, it’s easy to argue the Big Ten has overtaken the SEC as college football’s dominant conference.
Saban clearly does not appear ready to accept that narrative, but his comments only prompted more criticism from fans.
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“Saban needs to pick a lane. Are you still the Bama head coach, or are you a national-level football analyst? At least everyone else on gameday at least fakes some objectivity,” an Indiana fan page wrote.
“Still mad at the Big Ten for Michigan sending him into retirement,” a fan remarked.
Saban is not ready to take any hits to the SEC, as he remains one of the biggest architects of the conference’s historic dominance. He won six national championships at Alabama and another at LSU, making him one of the most influential figures in the conference’s unprecedented run of success.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
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