Nick Saban responds to critics of Alabama’s schedule

Yardbarker ^ | July 28, 2019 | Larry Brown

[where's_the_Outrage?]

The Crimson Tide play Duke (at a neutral site) and host New Mexico State, Southern Mississippi and Western Carolina for their four non-conference games this season. That has led to criticism that they are playing too soft a schedule.

During an appearance Friday on “Golic and Wingo,” Saban shared his side. The Crimson Tide coach says he has long advocated for Power 5 teams to only play each other. He also says the reason Alabama struggles to schedule strong non-conference opponents is because teams don’t want to play the Crimson Tide. Furthermore, he says Alabama ends up playing neutral site games because that’s the only way some teams will agree to face the Crimson Tide.

[where's_the_Outrage?]

Fully agree, there is little incentive for Bama and Clemson to play each other in the regular season and they seem destined to play at the CFP.

[PAR35]

so the risk of a likely loss is not worth it

A false statement. Bama is just too cheap to pay the market rates.

[Stanimal]

One minor correction, though. Rutgers is actually a conference game for OSU now. The Big Ten wanted access to the NYC TV market, so they added a school that really doesn’t belong in the conference. Maryland was added for DC access — but they’re at least a legit basketball school.

[QuigleyDU]

Georgia is rising as a program, and Clemson is right at the top. But Alabama is still at the top. I don’t think Georgia has beaten Alabama in a game that matters in over 10 years, have they?

---

You’re talking past tense, Georgia(Kirby) and Clemson(Dabo) sucking the life out of Alabama recruiting, and why Saban is weakening his schedule to keep up. Put your money on it.

[pas]

psst Rutgers is in the big ten.

[yarddog]

Every now and then one of those cupcakes, jumps up and bites you in the ass.

Remember Troy at LSU?

[MarDav]

Doesn’t the English Premier League (soccer) have a system where you are placed in an upper or lower echelon of the league based on your record at the end of the season? The NCAA should do the same. Upper echelon teams should have to play the majority of their schedule (9-10 out of 12 games) against other upper echelon opponents.

College football has become a system where there are a few perennial powerhouses, a few second tier teams and a whole lot of “never going to happens”.

[where's_the_Outrage?]

Kudos to Clemson and Georgia for keeping the CFP competitive. However, Bama still has the meme, have not seen it from the Tigers or Bulldogs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_o5jBmgdJ3Q&list=LLFMkydamgCBvW5jpyqbesXw&index=26&t=0s

[foreverfree]

Doesn’t the English Premier League (soccer) have a system where you are placed in an upper or lower echelon of the league based on your record at the end of the season?

Yes, and IIRC so do most of the countries on the Euro mainland to, and even Mexico. Baseball blew an opportunity when leagues were first starting out right after the WBTS to establish such a system (imagine the Bronx Bombers in a top flight or relegation-avoidance duel with Billings, MT).

ff

[pepsionice]

Add to it....the kind of guys who they end up recruiting....are the guys that the higher division just didn’t desire. But there is this interesting plus-up....Saban can go and relieve his starting squad about half-way through the first half, and give players who don’t get much time a chance to play. You might actually see the number three quarterback on the team get two second half games to display his skills and demonstrate his value.

[pepsi_junkie]

So he’s saying that only weak teams want to play Alabama, and they don’t want a home field advantage? Okay, sure.

[Oshkalaboomboom]

I thought low tier teams liked getting slaughtered by top tier teams because of the money they get paid.

[AlexisHeavyMetal1981]

College football has become a system where there are a few perennial powerhouses, a few second tier teams and a whole lot of “never going to happens”.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I say the system is rigged for SEC to win every year. It is perhaps time for all Western U.S. Conferences to separate from NCAA and form our own alliance so that the SEC can be disregarded. Then every year * WE * can celebrate a football title. The SEC can go kick rocks.

The Championship Trophy can be called the Western Cup.

[BwanaNdege]

Scheduling weak, out of conference teams worked out well for Michigan when it scheduled WCU’s weak neighbor from down the road in Boone, NC, Appalachian State, didn’t it?

[Quilla]

Amen and thank you for your service sir! RTR

[Richard Kimball]

I thought low tier teams liked getting slaughtered by top tier teams because of the money they get paid.

Pretty much. Scheduling is different for marquee schools. If Alabama is undefeated or has one loss, they're going to the playoffs. So, there's no reason for them to take a possible loss against a good opponent in non-con.

OTOH, a Wisconsin or Stanford isn't going to get that benefit of the doubt. Others have mentioned that even the best team in the country can't play a murderer's row of opponents without losing one or taking major injuries.

Another little note on SEC manipulating the system. They start out overranked, play weak OOC schedules, AND play one less conference game than other conferences. By definition, the conference win rate is .500 for conference games. Against weak non-con opponents, it's closer to .900, giving the SEC teams better records. By having a bunch of SEC teams ranked highly at the beginning of the season, when one SEC team loses to another, they don't drop as much, because they played a "quality opponent."

[Tennessean4Bush]

Alabama gets pretty much who they want in recruiting. So does Georgia. Neither program is fading.

[FLT-bird]

Florida opens the season against miami on August 24th and finishes the season against fsu.

[crusty old prospector]

Now, those are opponents.

[dangus]

I was actually defending Saban: it’s the norm in the Power 5 to dodge any chance of a non-conference loss; Saban is hardly the chief culprit.

However, I don’t take Saban seriously when he calls for a National Title re-match to open the season. That’s just not how sports work. Nor do I give him one lick of credibility if he’s saying that home-game matches against Duke, So. Mississippi, New Mexico St. and W. Carolina are the most challenging match-ups he can create.

Also, his suggestion to play only Power-5 conferences seems a deliberate non-starter, when he’s scheduling LCS teams. Go to Central Florida: they’re in a big city, sitting on a 12-1 record, and have nothing to fear losing to Alabama. Go to Temple, Cincinnati, MTSU, UAB, Boise St., Fresno St., Appy St...