Nick Saban admits his controversial SEC pick had some extra motives

Oct 21, 2023; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban does his traditional walk around at Bryant-Denny Stadium before a game against the Tennessee Volunteers. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports

Nick Saban raised some eyebrows last month when he did not pick Alabama to play in the SEC Championship this season, and the former Crimson Tide head coach is now admitting that he had some ulterior motives in doing so.

In an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” Friday, Saban admitted that he was providing some “reverse rat poison” for Alabama by picking Georgia and Texas to contest the SEC title game.

“It’s kind of reverse rat poison. I always hated it, and I’m going to hate it on this show — I might as well say it right off the bat — having to predict and make hypothetical decisions about who’s going to win a game, who’s going to win a championship, who’s going to win what conference. I’ve always hated that,” Saban said. “So I picked Georgia and Texas because it’s reverse rat poison for Alabama. It’s a motivating factor for them not to get picked, because I hated to be picked first or second, because you don’t know how that’s going to impact your team psychologically. These kids are affected a lot by what they read, what they hear, what they see, so I didn’t want them to see anything too good.”

Saban had hinted at this earlier , but it is out in the open now. The old talk of “rat poison” was something he went to frequently as Alabama’s coach, and while he may have retired, the reality is that he still wants to see Alabama do well. From that standpoint, he might as well try to contribute to his team’s psychology from the outside.

Based on initial feedback, it seems Saban’s strategy might be working to perfection . Ultimately, though, if Alabama starts winning, they will establish themselves as SEC favorites fairly early on.

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