Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban has and will always be known as the best college football coach. He never took it easy on his guys; he demanded the best out of them each and every day, and certainly would be blunt when he spoke about things on and off the field.
Now an analyst for college football, Saban certainly has not changed when it comes to being blunt about things. For weeks now, the debacle of Notre Dame not getting into the College Football Playoff has been a hot topic up for debate. Saban might have just shut every debate down with his latest comment on who the CFP committee is choosing to let in.
Saban appeared on the Pat McAfee Show for his weekly segment as he does every week this season. When talking about James Madison getting into the playoff, he started mentioning Triple-A baseball teams that win minor league championships. Then he started comparing them to James Madison playing in the CFP.
When a Triple A baseball teams win a championship, it is not then put in the World Series with the teams in the MLB. However, Saban feels like that is what is happening with the CFP, letting a team like James Madison in.
Legendary coach Nick Saban shares his thoughts on JMU making it to the CFP over Notre Dame 👀
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) December 18, 2025
(via @patmcafeeshow) pic.twitter.com/CQBvMPjEE0
"That's the equivalent of what we do when JMU gets into the College Football Playoff, and Notre Dame doesn't," Saban said.
This is not meant to be any sort of disrespect towards James Madison, but Saban makes a good point. Would the Dukes have the same record as the Fighting Irish if they played Notre Dame's schedule, or Georgia's schedule, or Ohio State's record?
No, probably not, and that is why Saban is saying that giving those types of teams an automatic bye when in reality they aren't playing on any sort of level playing field as the rest of the CFP teams is just a disgrace to the Irish.
