Nick Saban blames College Football Playoff 'letdown' on Alabama loss to Michigan

Nick Saban didn’t mince words about Alabama‘s 19-13 loss to Michigan in Tuesday’s ReliaQuest Bowl.

But, while acknowledging the multiple head-scratching turnovers by Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe in the first quarter, the former Alabama head coach pointed to another factor he believes may have contributed even more to the loss: missing out on the College Football Playoff.

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“Turnovers just kill you in a game, and obviously Alabama had two or three of them early in the game. Michigan’s guys played well in the game. I don’t think Alabama did,” Saban said Wednesday morning on ESPN College GameDay. “I think one of the big things that’s always been an issue is for all these teams that have a chance to get in the Playoffs and don’t, it’s always a huge letdown when you go play — not to take anything away from Michigan — a huge letdown when you play in a bowl game.”

The 11th-ranked Crimson Tide was controversially pushed out of the College Football Playoff’s 12-team field on Selection Day in favor of No. 10 SMU, which dropped just two spots from the penultimate rankings the week before following a 34-31 loss to No. 16 Clemson in the ACC championship game.

After plenty of criticism from college football pundits like Saban and fellow ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit, as well as SEC coaches like Ole Miss‘ Lane Kiffin and South Carolina‘s Shane Beamer — both of whose teams were also among the first four out as three-loss SEC programs — Alabama’s lackluster effort in Tampa only seemed to reinforce the CFP selection committee’s decision.

The disappointing loss also ended the Tide’s (9-4) NCAA-record streak of 10-win seasons at 16, dating back to 2008 — Saban’s second season in Tuscaloosa.

Paul Finebaum waves white flag on Alabama, abandons College Football Playoff take

The long wait is over folks as Paul Finebaum has finally waved the white flag regarding his Alabama support. The longtime ESPN and SEC host stumped for the Crimson Tide to get into the College Football Playoff this season.

Especially when Alabama was left out, Finebaum screamed from the rooftops. But with 2025 finally upon us, Finebaum decided to make a resolution. He surrendered.

“I led the Alabama parade to get them into the playoffs,” Finebaum said on Wednesday morning’s Get Up. “You know that I stood on every building, especially on this show, and on the first day of the new year, I’m surrendering. I am waving the white flag.”

Nick Kosko contributed to this report.