Nick Saban defends Alabama's College Football Playoff bid after angry fans blew up his phone

This year’s College Football Playoff selection was like few others, with a host of teams that could potentially claim to be deserving of inclusion. Only four got that right.

Alabama was the last of them, making coach Nick Saban an easy target for those frustrated their team didn’t make it.

“Everybody needs to understand — and my phone’s been getting blowed up from people who didn’t get in as if I’m responsible for that — look, we’ve been on the other side of this,” Saban said Thursday on the Pat McAfee Show. “We’ve been on the outside looking in.”

During the team’s awards banquet earlier this week, Saban reportedly told his players that his phone number had been leaked and he’d been receiving hate calls over Alabama’s inclusion at the expense of others.

The Tuscaloosa News reported that Saban had over 250 anonymous callers in a day.

Saban expressed compassion for the teams that were left out, knowing his teams have sometimes been there in the past. It isn’t a fun place tto be.

“We’ve been the team that didn’t get in,” Saban said. “We’ve been the fifth place team. So we kind of know how it feels, and I actually feel bad about it because there really are a lot of teams this year who could make an argument to say, ‘We should be there.’ And I get that.”

"We've won 11 straight games & beat the number 1 team in Georgia..

I'm proud of how we played in the SEC Championship & we've been on the outside looking in..

I also have compassion & feel bad for the teams that have an argument to get into the CFP & didn't" ~ Coach Saban pic.twitter.com/s8AiGapdOZ

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 7, 2023

Saban also makes no apologies for the grandstanding he did when the College Football Playoff had not yet been decided and he was pleading Alabama’s case.

“My responsibility and obligation is to our team, so I did the best job that I could to promote what we’ve been able to accomplish in winning 11 straight games or whatever, beating the No. 1 team in the country in Georgia,” Saban said. “We’re a different team now than we were earlier in the season. That was my obligation to our players and our team, and I’m proud of them for the way they responded to it, I’m proud of them for the way they played in the SEC Championship Game.”

Now Alabama will begin its preparations for a tricky College Football Playoff game against Michigan. Saban’s ready to get back after it, already in motivation mode again.

He told his team about the anonymous callers to prove his team still has doubters.

Still, Saban feels a little bad after being pelted with phone calls from folks who thought their team was deserving of a playoff shot.

“I feel great for our team, our team’s worked hard,” Saban said. “I’m glad they have the opportunity to do what they have to do, play another No. 1 team in the country in the Rose Bowl. That’s a great opportunity, they worked hard for it. But I also have compassion and feel bad for the teams that have an argument to get in the playoffs that didn’t.”