There was an expected drop-off for the Alabama Crimson Tide football team. Nick Saban spoiled the fanbase for years, where most just felt that a national title run was always guaranteed. Without Saban on the sideline, it seems those times are quickly changing.

Pat McAfee and Saban discussed the reality of teams getting snubbed in the CFP era before the 12-team playoff, and the former Alabama head coach mentioned what happened in 2022. Saban stated that it was subjective and that Alabama would have been 13-point favorites if the Crimson Tide had played TCU instead.

Nick Saban clearly still has some bitterness over the College Football Playoff bracket two years ago. In 2022, Alabama finished 10-2 with close losses to LSU and Tennessee. The Crimson Tide wound up as the first team out of the four-team CFP field,