Anyone who thought Nick Saban would just be a sycophantic Alabama mouthpiece after transitioning to the media booth may be in for a surprise; he wasted little time in picking against his old team at 2024 SEC Media Days.
Taking to the ESPN set alongside analysts Greg McElroy (his former quarterback) and Benjamin Watson, Saban was asked to pick the two teams to compete in the SEC title game come December. His answer? Texas and … Georgia.
“I think this is the first time Ole Miss could really match up up front,” Saban said in the SEC Media Days segment. “That’s always been their issue. They’ll win 11 games, they’d lose to Georgia, they’d lose to us because they can’t match up up front. They can this year. They’re gonna look more like an SEC team. But I think Texas, if their defense comes through and they can replace some of the interior people they lost that were high draft picks and all that, they’re really good offensively. And even though their quarterback has missed time – Ewers has missed time the last couple years – Manning was lights-out in the spring game. Like, Arch was like, 21 for 25 for 347 yards.
“That depth at quarterback is probably really important for them because Ewers has missed time the last couple years, a game or two, which could really affect where you end up. So I really like Texas. I think Georgia’s got a really good team, but I believe in our Alabama team, too – I believe in Jalen Milroe. I just think the question marks in the secondary, until those get resolved, it’s hard to sort of jump on that bandwagon.”
That take is … entirely sensible? Just think about Saban’s lived experience during his final two seasons behind the bench. In 2024, his Crimson Tide team was thoroughly beaten by Texas in Tuscaloosa … then rallied to knock off Georgia in the SEC title game to advance to the College Football Playoff once again.
For what it’s worth, McElroy also picked Texas but chose Alabama as his second contender. Watson picked Georgia and Ole Miss.
If it seems like Saban’s endorsement of Milroe while simultaneously picking against his team is a cop out, it mostly isn’t. Saban was transparent about the team’s problems in the secondary, which inherently underscores his own responsibility for failing to leave the cupboard stocked there.
More importantly, it would seem to indicate we’ll get authentically critical analysis from Saban on ESPN. That’s a win for everyone.
