Nick Saban questions if Vanderbilt can 'deal with the flash' after 6-1 start

More than a year after making headlines when he proclaiming Vanderbilt‘s home stadium was “the only place in the SEC that’s not hard to play at,” Nick Saban returned to FirstBank Stadium on Friday. Saban was there in preparation for Saturday morning’s ESPN College GameDay on the Nashville campus ahead of Saturday’s Top 15 showdown between the 10th-ranked Commodores (6-1, 2-1 SEC) and No. 15 Missouri (6-1, 2-1 SEC) at 3:30 pm ET.

But while the legendary former Alabama coach-turned-ESPN analyst announced he’s officially “jumping on the bandwagon” with Vanderbilt during Friday’s appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Saban still isn’t exactly sold on the Commodores as serious contenders despite their strong start to the season.

In fact, Saban flat out questioned whether Vanderbilt had what it takes to handle the pressure of success. And he cited the Commodores’ lone loss this season — a 30-14 defeat at then-No. 10 Alabama two weeks ago — as his reason for second-guessing the ‘Dores.

“This is still the question mark for Vanderbilt – can they deal with the flash? Can they deal with the success?” Saban said Friday afternoon during his weekly Friday appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. “I saw signs at Alabama when they played a couple of weeks ago … where that wasn’t the case. So, can they do that? Did they learn their lesson there (at Alabama) and can they finish this season strong? Which if they do, they’re going to have a chance, possibly, to get in the Playoffs.”

For a program like Vanderbilt, which has never won 10 or more games in a single season and has only achieved nine wins four times in its 135-year history, a College Football Playoff appearance would be historic. But with a full month left in the season, and two Top 25 road games ahead at No. 22 Texas and No. 17 Tennessee, the road to the Playoff is fraught with potential landmines.

Nick Saban calls out Diego Pavia for practicing victory formation ahead of Alabama game

Diego Pavia tried to call his shot before Vanderbilt took on Alabama earlier this season. The Commodores’ star quarterback was seen practicing taking a victory knee pregame in Tuscaloosa.

That didn’t sit well with Nick Saban, or the Crimson Tide — who ended up victorious when the final whistle blew against Vanderbilt. With College GameDay in Nashville this weekend ahead of the Commodores’ clash with Missouri, Saban explained why Pavia’s pregame antics wouldn’t have flown on a team he coached.

“I love Diego, but that would have been a catastrophic player–coach relationship moment before the game,” Saban stated, via The Pat McAfee Show. I never wanted my players to ever do anything — I didn’t even let them talk to the other team. I never wanted them to do anything that was going to affect the other team’s motivation to beat us.

“So, don’t ever say anything. Don’t ever give anybody a reason. They’ve already got enough reason to want to beat us. Don’t give them any more.”

Alas, Pavia might be the first one to tell you he regrets that decision. His game didn’t match up with his pregame confidence against Alabama, as he passed for just 198 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The Commodores fell by 17 points.

— On3’s Steven Samra contributed to this reprot.