Nick Saban calls for strength of schedule to carry weight in College Football Playoff selection process

After 10 years with a four-team field, the College Football Playoff – much like the sport itself – its entering a new era. Starting in 2024, 12 teams will vie for a national championship, featuring the five highest-ranked conference champions and the next seven highest-ranked teams.

That means the selection process will be even more interesting to follow. Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban said he wants to see one metric carry more weight: strength of schedule.

Saban, now an analyst for ESPN, pointed out what happened in college baseball this year. Florida went 13-17 in SEC play, but still made it to the College World Series. The Gators were one of a record nine teams from the league to make the NCAA Tournament, with schedule strength cited in that decision.

Saban argued it’s a similar discussion in football. After all, he knows the SEC well from his time at LSU and Alabama.

“There’s a lot of great teams in the SEC, so strength of schedule is really important,” Saban said on College Football Live during SEC Media Days. “I do think the expanded playoff is gonna be great for fans. Where we had a four-team playoff, you only had maybe seven or eight teams that their fan base (got) really excited at the end of the season to see if they got in the playoffs. Now, you’re gonna have 25 or 30 fan bases that are excited to see who gets in the playoffs.”

Nick Saban: ‘I just wish we could put the 12 best teams in’ CFP

On the other side of the coin, Saban lamented a debate which raged on last year. He wants to see the 12 “best” teams in the CFP – a conversation which began in 2023 when Florida State missed out on the four-team field despite going undefeated and winning an ACC title. Alabama ended up making it in after defeating Georgia, undefeated at the time, in the SEC Championship. Former CFP selection committee chairman Boo Corrigan said strength of schedule was a factor.

But when it comes to the final 12 teams left to vie for a national title, Saban said the best teams should get bids. He argued fans would want to see that, as well.

“The downside of it is I just wish we could put the 12 best teams in the playoff – not worry about conference champions and all that kind of stuff,” Saban said. “If you do get beat in a conference championship game and you’re one of the best teams, you still should get in there because you played really, quality opponents and you played good football.

“That’s my only concern about it. I just want to see the best 12 teams in it and I think most people want to see the best 12 teams in it.”