Nick Saban quickly established himself as “the voice of reason and expertise” on ESPN. College Game Day. No matter what the topic of the day is this college football weekend, Saban is there to offer sober and consistent advice.
Pat McAfee’s Desire yang shirtlessSaban brings a wealth of knowledge not only about football, but also the business of college football. However, the 74-year-old also left the coaching ranks, in part because he no longer wanted to be part of a system he believes is broken.
This means that when talking about important issues involving training carousels and player autonomy, his opinions can often be relatively predictable and, let’s just say, toothless (unless, perhaps, Jimmy Sexton’s client needs some PR love).
The college football story of the weekend is undoubtedly the situation brewing at Ole Miss. LSU and Florida are openly courting head coach Lane Kiffin. Meanwhile, Kiffin doesn’t really silence rumors or reports about his desire to stay at Oxford. While the AD tried and failed to calm things down with a statement Fridaywe’re faced with the real possibility that Kiffin leads the Rebels to the College Football Playoff and then leaves before attempting to win a national title, all because of the way the college football coaching carousel works.
While McAfee begged Kiffin to stay at Ole Miss and continue to build the program, Saban took the opportunity to denounce this entire system.
“This is not a Lane Kiffin conundrum. This is a college football conundrum where we need some leadership to step up and change the rules on how it’s done.”
Nick Saban weighs in on Lane Kiffin’s potential departure from Ole Miss ✍️ pic.twitter.com/oNAaBqNqHW
– College Game Day (@CollegeGameDay) November 22, 2025
“Everybody should think about the players,” Saban said. “Players should be able to play for their coach throughout the season. Players should not be penalized if a coach leaves, because the committee has the ability, if a player or coach does not participate, to push you down in the rankings.”
Saban explained how specific deadlines bind NFL coaches over the course of a season, before they can even speak with another team, college football remains the Wild West.
“We should match the academic calendar with the football calendar,” said Saban, who believes aligning key dates would help stem the tide of coaching departures during seasons.
“This is not a Lane Kiffin riddle,” he concluded. “This is a conundrum in college football, and we need some leadership to step up and change the rules. »
That’s true, but it’s also a line Saban has been repeating for years. In a sport run by money-hungry conference commissioners, promoters and television executives, the former Alabama coach presents a nice alternative that simply isn’t possible given the current leadership.
Plus, you know, Kiffin might just put his foot down? If he’s in such high demand, why doesn’t he tell his suitors that he’ll come as soon as Ole Miss’ season is over? And if they balk, it looks like Ole Miss is willing to pay dearly for it. He is not a leaf in the wind with no control over where he lands.
