Nick Saban wasn’t even 20 minutes into his debut on College GameDay before the legendary head coach fanned the flames of the biggest controversy surrounding college football last season. No, we aren’t talking about the Michigan sign-stealing scandal, but rather the “scandal” that saw Florida State get snubbed from the College Football Playoff in favor of Saban’s Crimson Tide.
And Kirk Herbstreit didn’t take long to draw the ire of FSU fans. But it’s not like he changed his stance; he held steadfast in his belief that the SEC Champs would get in over the Seminoles, even prior to Jordan Travis’ devastating leg injury.
It got a little more personal from there. The GameDay personality felt the need to keep defending his CFP opinions, especially in the face of Florida State getting snubbed. And well after the season was over, he was still fighting with FSU fans on social media. It got to the point that after another personal jab at his expense, Herbstreit offered apologies to the fanbase, who had declared war on him. And that later saw Herbstreit speak out against “dark” online negativity.
But there’s a light at the end of the tunnel — the new college football season. And with the new expanded playoff, an undefeated conference champion probably isn’t being left out again. And now having that cover, in addition to him no longer being the head coach of Alabama, Saban poked fun at that Saturday.
When talking about Florida State, Clemson, Miami, and the rest of the new-look ACC, Saban quipped that it was not his or Herbstreit’s fault that FSU was left at home at the end of last season.
“I just want Kirk to know, I got 1,000 phone calls when we got in the Playoff,” Saban said, as he pointed to the Seminoles fans in the crowd in Dublin. “[Herbstreit] didn’t have anything to do with them not getting into the playoffs, and I didn’t either.”
Nick Saban wants to inform Kirk Herbstreit that he got 1,000 phone calls when Alabama made the CFP over Florida State.
“He didn’t have anything to do with them not getting in the playoff, and I didn’t either.” pic.twitter.com/bmS9YIaNvp
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 24, 2024
Saban tried to say something before being consumed by a crowd of boos.
“I’m glad we got in and they probably should’ve got in, too, but at least we won’t have that situation this year,” he added.
Pat McAfee later chimed in that Saban “didn’t deserve to get those phone calls,” but we’re not so sure Florida State fans agree with that sentiment. With a new college football season, conference realignment, college football expansion and Saban on the College GameDay desk, there’s an opportunity to turn a new leaf. And for the sake of Herbstreit — and FSU fans — let’s hope that’s the case.
It’s just funny that Saban would spend one of his first shots at the desk shielding Herbstreit from any criticism.
