Nick Saban doubles down on Alabama’s CFP case after Sugar Bowl win
Alabama coach Nick Saban is clearly still upset about the Crimson Tide’s exclusion from the College Football Playoff. Following a dominant 45-20 victory against Kansas State in the Sugar Bowl on Saturday, Saban claimed his team’s performance proved it deserved a shot at a championship.
“I think we had a little bit of a taste in our mouth that if we had a dominant performance, it would show people that we probably did deserve to do a little better than we did, in terms of the playoff picture,” the coach said.
Alabama finished fifth in the final CFP rankings, narrowly missing out on the Playoff as one-loss Ohio State claimed the fourth spot. With the win against the Wildcats on Saturday, the Crimson Tide finished the season with an 11-2 record. No two-loss team has ever made the College Football Playoff.
“But at the same time, I’m proud that we came to the Sugar Bowl, and proud that we won the Sugar Bowl,” Saban said. “But I’m most proud that there was a team out there that cared; that represents the University of Alabama in a first‑class way in the way they competed and the way they played in the game.
“So great competitive character for this team to come into this game and play the way they played, prepare the way they did, to have an outstanding performance. So very proud of the group.”
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Alabama quarterback Bryce Young put together a stellar performance in the win, finishing 15-of-21 passing for 321 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions. After Kansas State opened the game with a 10-0 lead, the Crimson Tide scored five straight touchdowns to go up 35-10 and pull away for good.
Alabama’s defense was also huge in the win, forcing a pair of interceptions from K-State quarterback Will Howard.
Nick Saban has led Alabama to the College Football Playoff seven times, more than any other team in the country. In this year’s Playoff, TCU leads Michigan 41-30 with one quarter left to play in the first semifinal game. After that, Georgia will take on Ohio State at 8 p.m. ET in a game Saban will likely be watching closely.