Nick Saban Catches Kirk Herbstreit Off Guard With Unexpected ESPN Verdict
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Kirk Herbstreit is used to disagreeing with Nick Saban on college football. Getting the Alabama legend to back his opinion without an argument was a different story. During ESPN’s College GameDay on October 10, the former Buckeye was asked to name the best team in the country.
He went with Miami, pointing to the Hurricanes’ quarterback play, their defensive talent, and the prospect of getting injured players back as the season progresses. Then Saban did something Herbstreit probably wasn’t expecting.
“I agree with you on that one,” Saban said. Herbstreit immediately turned toward him and asked him to repeat himself. “Wait, wait, wait, say that again.” The exchange brought a smile to Herbstreit’s face as the rest of the panel watched.
“I agree with you on that. At this point,” Saban repeated. It was a brief moment, but it carried weight because Saban rarely hands out praise without making his own assessment.
Saban has spent years warning coaches about the damage media hype can do to a team. He called it “rat poison” during his time at Alabama, and he still takes issue when praise gets ahead of what a team has actually proved.
That tension surfaced during a September 2026 broadcast. Kirk Herbstreit and Pat McAfee were raving about LSU after its 51-10 win over Clemson. Herbstreit called the Tigers’ offense “dangerous” and entertained the idea of a title run.
“It’s one game. One game. I mean, everybody has the opportunity to improve. It’s a long season,” Saban said. Herbstreit then cut Saban off midway and jokingly remarked, “Lighten up, Francis.” Saban, though, had his mind made up.
“One thing that I hated and despised about the media is how they sort of proclaimed your team early in the season,” Saban immediately replied to Herbstreit. But why is Saban raving about Miami now?
Miami has given him plenty of reasons to pay attention. The Hurricanes are entering the weekend at 5-0 after a 41-13 win at Clemson on October 3. They had also steamrolled Stanford 45-6, Florida A&M 77-7, Wake Forest 33-20, and Central Michigan 52-3.
The Clemson result was their most significant victory yet, putting another ranked opponent behind them and strengthening their case as a national contender. Most importantly, the way they won the game was spectacular.
Miami needed only two plays to strike. Darian Mensah found Cooper Barkate downfield for a 61-yard touchdown, giving the Hurricanes an early lead. Moreover, Clemson struggled to keep its quarterback upright as Miami brought him down six times.
Damon Wilson II led the rush with 2.5 sacks, repeatedly finding a way through the Tigers’ protection. Clemson could barely get anything going on the ground, finishing with just 55 rushing yards as Miami shut down its running game.
In total, Mensah threw for 227 yards and added a 34-yard touchdown run, giving Clemson’s defense another problem to deal with. Overlooking that sort of dominant performance against Clemson probably wasn’t easy for Saban.
Even if that meantdistributing the same “rat poison” he once despised in his coaching career. Moreover, agreeing with Herbstreit was even rarer, since the two constantly go back and forth on College GameDay.
Last year, Saban and Herbstreit clashed over whether assistants should be allowed to coach through the playoffs before taking another job. Saban pointed to Kirby Smart, who remained with Alabama through the postseason before leaving for Georgia.
He said he had no issue with the arrangement, recalling his response: “OK, you can go these days and do this, and you can go to the bowl game… We never had a problem.” Herbstreit pushed back, reminding Saban that Lane Kiffin had not been allowed the same arrangement.
Alabama moved Kiffin out after its semifinal win over Washington, with Steve Sarkisian taking over play-calling before the championship game. The former Alabama head coach said the two situations were different.
Kiffin was trying to build his new staff and recruit players for his next job while still running Alabama’s offense. According to Saban, that split focus had become a problem for the team.
He said they agreed it was best for Kiffin to leave before the title game. Because of the debates, there’s always some light tension between Saban and Herbstreit, but it’s all healthy.
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