The first highlight of the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff came before the first game even kicked off. With a first-round matchup between Notre Dame and Indiana in South Bend serving as the new format’s opening contest, ESPN’s College GameDay invited Shane Gillis to star as the pregame show’s celebrity guest picker.
By now, you likely know what happened next.
Gillis — a diehard Fighting Irish fan who often waxes poetic about past stars like Darius Walker and Jimmy Clausen — joked that Notre Dame was benefitting from an even playing field now that the SEC wasn’t the only place players could get paid.
That led to a terse exchange with Nick Saban, who the comedian called “Alabama Jones” in reference to his distinctive fedora hat.
“You called him a cheater earlier.” – Pat McAfee
“I was just joking around… Is this not a fun show? Is this a serious show? Alabama Jones is very serious.” – Shane Gillis
“… That was how we cheated. We developed players.” – Nick Saban https://t.co/o4pwKoByhL pic.twitter.com/GXwb9EMhMV
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 21, 2024
In the days and weeks since, the on-air interaction between Gillis and Saban has taken on a life of its own, with the seven-time national champion doing his best to downplay it by noting that his daughter is a huge fan of the Tires star. Meanwhile, Gillis revealed on the latest episode of Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast that Saban was legitimately angry with him over his comments.
This makes Shane Gillis vs Nick Saban even funnier 🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/l19jfjPZvP
— Joe Ostrowski (@JoeOstrowski) January 9, 2025
The interaction between Gillis and Saban instantly became one of College GameDay‘s most memorable moments. Here the show was on site for a historic matchup, only to have one of the most popular comedians alive roasting its legendary head coach-turned-analyst.
And now ESPN has a chance to run it back.
With Notre Dame going on to not only beat Indiana on that cold December night, but also Georgia in the Sugar Bowl and Penn State in the Orange Bowl, the Fighting Irish now find themselves getting ready to play in the national title game. And whether they’re facing Ohio State or Texas, there’s no question about who the guest picker should be, as it would only make sense to bring this thing full circle with Gillis making his return to the College GameDay set.
If ESPN feels the needs to add an Ohio State or Texas representative — LeBron James? Matthew McConaughey? — to the mix, so be it. But the stars have aligned too perfectly for Gillis to not be present for the final game of the inaugural 12-team CFP, just as he was for the first one.
Perhaps Shane Gillis and Nick Saban could even clear the air regarding their high profile previous interaction. One way or another, hilarity would undoubtedly ensue, especially if Gillis’ podcast co-host, Matt McCusker, is given another shot at Pat McAfee’s field goal contest.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.