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Nick Saban Addresses Those People Criticizing Alabama’s Schedule

by Larry Leo

July 29, 201950 Comments

Nick Saban Has Some Words For Those People Criticizing Alabama’s Schedule

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Alabama's schedule has been getting a lot of criticism for it's lack of competition. While on ESPN, head coach Nick Saban had a response to those with that opinion...

quote:
“I think the culture of college football would benefit if we said Power 5 teams have to play all Power 5 teams. I’ve been an advocate of this for several years,” Saban said on ESPN’s Golic and Wingo show, per 247Sports. “I’ve been an advocate of playing more SEC games. Well, I think you should do it like basketball, they have RPI, or whatever it’s called. And basketball says these are the teams that played the best schedule and won the biggest games. So that’s how you qualify for a bowl game, not how many games you win. So that it would be better for fans, it would be better for fan interest.

“So we’ve tried to schedule two opponents — Power Five opponents — every year. We have one time in the next 10 years, we’ve succeeded at doing that. So unless we change the culture of how we all agree to schedule, I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

(The Spun)

Filed Under: Alabama Sports

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Kentucker•77 months

Wouldn’t Clemson’s sorry schedule be a better target?

SomeLSUguy•77 months

I hate Clemson, so I hate having to defend them... but they cannot help that their conference sucks. Pluse, they do have the gaggies and gamecocks on their non-conference schedule.

3down10•77 months

So, let me get this straight LSU guy. It's not Clemson's fault they play in a weak conference, but it's Alabama's fault they play one of the teams in Clemson's conference, but Clemson's schedule is good because it includes 1 of the teams on Alabama's schedule? lol! Nice logic spin.

SomeLSUguy•77 months

No dip shite, You must be stuck on stupid... where did I say Clemson's schedule was good?!? I was simply pointing out that their non-conference schedule is tougher than bama's... which is the topic of this conversation.

TigerFanInSouthland•77 months

Yeah but they still get the benefit of playing Tennessee every year while we get to play Florida.

knothead2955•77 months

They would beat Florida the same every year

oleheat•77 months

Sometimes they also get the benefit of making it to playoffs/title game without that pesky SEC Championship getting in their way.....

atltiger6487•77 months

you may be too young to remember, but Tennessee was an elite team from the late 80s though early 2000s. Just because they've stunk recently doesn't mean Bama's getting a pass. It's all cyclical.

LSU fan 246•77 months

Dunno why they're getting hate. They've had some very big games the last 10 years OOC. Plus, not very many teams want their shite kicked in week 1

ALA2262•77 months

What part of "So unless we change the culture of how we all agree to schedule" do you not understand? What he is saying is that it takes TWO schools to schedule a game, and if none of them want to play Alabama, then WTF do you expect us to do about it?

BobABooey•77 months

Sounds like Nick wants to go back to the original BCS system. I think he is more concerned with keeping Clemson out because of a weaker conference schedule than anything else.

Ssubba•77 months

"So we’ve tried to schedule two opponents — Power Five opponents — every year. We have one time in the next 10 years," Is he implying that they have two P5 teams on a future schedule? I'm looking at their schedules and I'm not seeing this.

MEANGREEN65•77 months

I think he’s saying that they have tried but the teams they want to play aren’t interested in a loss early in the season when they can have a free W against a cupcake team.

UAinSOUTHAL•77 months

Teams don't want to play Bama. That is what he is saying and it won't change until we expand the SEC slate and force power5 to play power5. The only opponents Bama can schedule is cupcake because they want the payday.

TeddyPadillac•77 months

Saban to weak P5 School: Hey you want to play us? P5 School: Sure, let's do a home and home. That would be awesome to have you guys in our stadium. Saban: We aren't going to Duke, you can come here or we can play at a neutral site where we can extend our recruiting fingers and make more money on the game. P5 School: I guess we'll do the neutral site with you so we can make some money too. Looking forward to getting our arse kicked. Saban to big name P5 School: Hey you want to play us? Big name P5 School: Why would we want to risk ending our season after the first game of the season? Go to hell midget. We don't have the luxury of losing a game like you do and still getting into the playoffs.

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JackieTreehorn•77 months

Alabama OOC opponents since 2007: FSU Clemson Virginia Tech Penn State Penn State Michigan Virginia Tech West Virginia Wisconsin USC FSU Louisville Pretty good overall.

atltiger6487•77 months

better than pretty good - those are top-flight teams. Bama doesn't run and hide, and I'm surprised this board is criticizing them just because this year they happen to play Duke (which is no powerhouse but at least has been to a bowl 6 of the last 7 years).

Geauxmyway•77 months

I really enjoyed watching Clemson beat the hell out of Alabama earlier this year with a QB who had been in high school just 7 months earlier. LOL

5Wide•77 months

I really enjoyed Alabama shutting out LSU in their own stadium LOL

km•77 months

The dynasty is over. buck fama

LSU FSU Grad•77 months

As usual for Nicky, his talk is different than his action.

Ripley•77 months

He's right. Until things change, there's no reason for them to change the way they schedule. No incentive to do so.

RECConspiracy•77 months

He's saying it needs to be a level playing field. Why put your team at a competitive disadvantage when so many can sail through to the playoffs without scheduling a tough opponent? But Bama has played tough opponents in the regular season- in and out of conference. They get no credit for it because this year in particular they have Duke on the schedule...but that is not the norm. Don't let the facts get in the way of a narrative though.

WildTchoupitoulas•77 months

So, Nick, we can look forward to Alabama playing WSU, Indiana, AND Duke in the future? Skrong.

atltiger6487•77 months

go back and look at Bama's OOC schedule starting in 2007 and tell me what you find. (Hint: it'll include Florida State (twice), Clemson, Virginia Tech (twice), Penn State (twice), Michigan, West Virginia, Wisconsin, USC, Louisville).

Stingray•77 months

Remember SOS and the old computer system BCS without need of playoffs? I remember.

rbdallas•77 months

I still the BCS leave the HUMANS out of it. The HUMANS was what prompted the BCS in the first place. Go to 6 teams #1 and #2 get a bye and let BCS decide.

atltiger6487•77 months

True, this year Duke's no powershouse, but it's hard to see how people can criticize Bama for scheduling because every year since 2007 they've played a big-name OOC P5 school: Fla State, Va Tech (twice), Michigan, West Va, Wisconsin, USC, Penn State (twice), etc.

Skinny•77 months

Nope...nope. Im not gonna talk about the schedule. So quit askin!!

Gaspergou202•77 months

So Nick says Bama tries to play a big boy schedule: “So we’ve tried to schedule two opponents — Power Five opponents — every year. We have one time in the next 10 years, we’ve succeeded at doing that.“ Unfortunately, Nick just cannot seem to do it. Here’s a suggestion, Nick should just call O and switch schedules, with LSU, for the next 10 years!

tigerfan5803•77 months

Power 5 teams won't schedule Bama because nobody wants to take an L in their out of conference schedule. I hate Bama as much as anyone here, but to assume that they wouldn't win, well, ANY game is just plain silly.

DontCare•77 months

This whole “opposing teams don’t want the automatic loss” argument is beyond stupid. Bama isn’t undefeated every single year, meaning that playing them could catapult their season against an otherwise weak conference schedule with a signature win. You can only make one of the two arguments, but not both: bama has scheduled decent OOC games like Texas, USC, and Miami for upcoming seasons, *or* power 5 OOC teams are too scared to schedule bama. Both can not be simultaneously true. Dumbasses.

bamagreycoat•77 months

I’m resigned to the fact that all the Bama bashers will be complaining about Bama’s schedule all year so it will go in one ear out the other. Just like american news media.

Nissanmaxima•77 months

Who in the hell is going to believe anyone that talks out of both sides of his mouth? He can spew all is wants, that schedule is a freaking joke!

ALA2262•77 months

Alabama did NOT schedule Duke. The Chick Fil-A Kickoff Classic scheduled Duke. Alabama has stopped scheduling neutral site games because of Orlando's and Atlanta's inability to schedule better opposition than Louisville and Duke. One need only to look at Bama's future schedule(s) to see that is the case. 2019 - Duke (Atlanta) 2020 - USC (Dallas) 2021 - Miami (Atlanta) 2022 - @ Texas 2023 - Texas 2024 - @ Wisconsin 2025 - Wisconsin 2026 - @ West VA 2027 - West VA 2028 - @ Notre Dame 2029 - Notre Dame 2030 - 2031 - 2032 - @ Oklahoma 2033 - Oklahoma

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