Nick Saban calls possibility of SEC-less College Football Playoff field 'disrespect to the SEC'

Alabama‘s SEC Championship matchup with No. 1 ranked Georgia has a lot of College Football Playoff implications on the line, implications that are quite hard to predict. With seven of the nation’s top eight teams playing in conference title games this weekend, the possibilities seem endless regarding who the top four teams will be in the final College Football Playoff rankings.

Everyone is wondering what the CFP selection committee would do if Alabama wins the SEC Championship. Do the Crimson Tide jump from No. 8 in the rankings to the top four? Does top-ranked Georgia drop out of the top four? Do both teams make the playoff? Or do zero SEC teams make the CFP for the first time ever?

Alabama head coach Nick Saban was asked about the possibility of no SEC teams making the cut for the playoffs, addressing the topic during the SEC Championship preview press conference.

“I think that the SEC is one of the best conferences in the country. I think Georgia is one of the best teams in the country, and I think that they’re one of the best four teams in the country,” Saban said. “I think if we beat them, we’d be one of the best four teams in the country. Because, you know, teams do … there’s a transformation that goes through the season. So how are you playing now? Where’s your team now? How good are you now? I think all those things come into play. But I think it would be a disrespect to the SEC if there isn’t SEC representation in the final four. I do believe that.”

Saban was asked about the same topic during his Thursday appearance on the ‘Pat McAfee Show’, doubling down on his stance that no matter what happens this weekend across the country the SEC should have a team in the College Football Playoff.

“I think there should be some representation of the SEC regardless of who wins the game, absolutely,” Saban said. “I think this is one of the best leagues in the country and if you’re a one-loss team and you played through this league I think you’re one of the best four teams in the country. So some kind of way there should be representation, some kind of way, because the of the league itself and the competition in the league.”

Saban makes a strong case for the SEC, a conference that for years has been considered the best across college football. But amongst all of the nation’s top teams, there seems to be a convincing argument to be made that they deserve in the top four regardless of the conference as well.

Either way, Saban made it clear that the focus of the Crimson Tide is fully on their major marquee matchup with the Bulldogs on Saturday, who’ve won back-to-back national titles and are fresh off of winning their SEC record 29th game in a row.

“But I don’t pay a lot of attention to it because we can’t control it and I don’t really want out players to pay attention to it either,” Saban said. “I want them to focus on what they have to do to play well and have a chance to be successful in this game and have a chance to win the SEC Championship. That’s the opportunity they created for themselves.”

The SEC Championship will provide exciting, must-see TV on Saturday. But the release of the final College Football Playoff rankings on Selection Sunday could be even more compelling, with the certainty some fan bases and conferences will be left out of the CFP ultimately.