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Nick Saban chimed in on the ongoing debate between the Southeastern Conference and Big Ten during Friday’s episode of “The Pat McAfee Show.” He questioned the overall depth of the Big Ten compared to the SEC. While he acknowledged that Ohio State and Oregon are justifiable national contenders, Saban argued that the Big Ten does not have many other high-level programs.
"I don't think the Big Ten is really that deep,” Saban said, via On3. “It’s not like the SEC where you got eight or nine teams that can beat you. There might be three or four teams in the Big Ten that can beat you.”
When pressed by co-host AJ Hawk to name other strong Big Ten teams, Saban said:
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“Deeper by what? By who? I mean, Penn State? I mean, tell me the good teams. Maybe Michigan. Well, we’ll see tomorrow (about USC). They’re alright, but alright is not really what I’m talking about. I mean, you think USC is going to beat Ohio State? You think that would be a game if they played, really?
“You have Oregon, Indiana – legit, so far. And we’ll see how legit Indiana is probably tomorrow. I mean, Illinois got beat like a redheaded stepchild, you know, down at Indiana, so are they legit? I mean, c’mon. Ohio State is great.”
Nick Saban then talked about SEC teams, listing several he believes could be considered contenders.
“A&M is pretty good, Georgia is pretty good, Ole Miss is pretty good," he said. "Alabama has got a chance. Missouri has got a chance. I mean, there’s a lot of good teams. Tennessee is pretty good.”
Nick Saban’s argument comes despite recent Big Ten success
The SEC won 13 of 17 national championships between 2006 and 2022. However, Big Ten teams have won the last two national titles, so the power balance seems to be shifting.
Nevertheless, both conferences are well represented in the AP Top 25 this season. Right now, the Big Ten has five teams ranked, with three inside the Top 10. The SEC has nine teams in the Top 20, including eight in the Top 15.
