Nick Saban Takes Another Shot at Vanderbilt Following Alabama Upset

Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban is well aware of Vanderbilt's effort to bring his previous comments to light after the Commodores' historic upset win over the then-No. 1 Crimson Tide in Week 6.

Vanderbilt had not beaten Alabama since 1984, including Saban's entire 17-year tenure in Tuscaloosa. Saban's Tide outscored Vanderbilt 172-13 in four games.

Saban spoke candidly about Vanderbilt Stadium ahead of the game, saying Nashville is the easiest place to play in the SEC.

"The only place you play in the SEC that's not hard to play is Vanderbilt," he said on "The Pat McAfee Show." "When you play at Vanderbilt, you have more fans there than they have. That's no disrespect to them. That's just the truth."

Saban's comments went viral after Clark Lea and the Commodores pulled off the 40-35 win over then No. 1 ranked Alabama. In fact, Vanderbilt actually played his remarks on the stadium's video board after the final play.

Saban, now with ESPN's "College GameDay" as a regular host, joined Pat McAfee again on Friday. He was asked if he had noticed the Commodores' video choice before fans rushed the field in celebration of the biggest win in program history.

"Oh yeah, I heard this," he said. ..."If you looked at the stadium, half the people were Alabama fans."

Jokes aside, Saban complimented Vanderbilt for its performance and believes the program's rise is ultimately a good thing for the SEC as a whole. The Commodores finished 2-10 last year and have already surpassed their win total from 2023 (3).

"It is awesome and I think it's good for the SEC if Vanderbilt is good and has hope and has a chance and I think they do," he said. "They deserve it, I mean, they beat Alabama, the No. 1 team in the country at the time."

Vanderbilt (3-2) will take on Kentucky (3-2) in Lexington on Saturday. First-year head coach Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide (4-1) will attempt to get back on track at home against South Carolina (3-2).

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