Saturday Shows Nick Saban Has No Idea What He’s Talking About
Indiana dominates, SEC “powers" struggle on big college football Saturday
Nick Saban has once again demonstrated that those within sports often have little idea how to measure team performance. At least, outside their own echo chamber and personal experience.
Saban told Pat McAfee this week that the SEC is simply deeper than the Big Ten. Big Ten teams could never compete in the SEC gauntlet, where every team is elite, where every stadium atmosphere simply cannot be matched.
RELATED: Nick Saban Peddles False Narrative That The SEC Has Way More Depth Than The Big Ten
His examples of teams that can beat you in the SEC? The Ole Miss Rebels and Tennessee Volunteers. They're simply better than Big Ten counterparts, because they have the SEC crest on their uniforms.
The Indiana Hoosiers though? They have to prove they can compete with the big, bad, SEC teams. Whoops.
Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Believe It Or Not, Other Conferences Play Football Too
Well about that Ole Miss dominance. The Rebels entered Saturday as 32.5 point favorites over the Pac-2 powerhouse Washington State Cougars.
Despite playing in Oxford, in front of the intimidating SEC environment, (just kidding…the stadium was half-empty), Ole Miss was lucky to escape with a 24-21 win, with Washington State leading for much of the first half and into the third quarter. Yards per play were close, and each team averaged 4.5 yards per carry. Again, the Cougars were 32.5-point underdogs against an SEC team Saban described as a program that can beat other big-name teams.
Tennessee, at least, played another SEC team. It was equally ugly.
Despite hosting the moribund Arkansas Razorbacks, with an interim head coach, the Volunteers allowed 496 yards of offense in a 3-point win. They were out-gained. By Arkansas. The same Arkansas that lost 59-13 to Notre Dame at Razorback Stadium just a few weeks ago.
That's the Tennessee team Nick Saban said can beat you.
Meanwhile, Indiana turned in arguably the best win of the season by any program, going into Eugene and beating Oregon 30-20. That's the Indiana that Saban dismissed as needing to prove itself. This is why he has no idea what he's talking about, and how the SEC always gives itself the benefit of the doubt.
When it's Ole Miss or Tennessee, they're proven programs that are bestowed with automatic superiority. When it's the Indiana Hoosiers, they have to prove themselves. That's what happens when conference bias takes over.