Nick Saban lets his retirement plans known: "I've always said I don't want to ride the program down"
Nick Saban is considered one of the greatest coaches in college football history. The legendary Alabama Crimson Tide coach has recently found his name being thrown in retirement rumors, which have only grown louder following Alabama's Week 2 loss to the Texas Longhorns.
Despite this, Saban recently revealed that he remains focused on returning to the top of the college football world. During an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," he was asked about the chatter regarding his future.
"It's kind of laughable, Saban said. "I guess I would ask you when's the first time you heard I was gonna retire? That started about five years ago. I think it creates some advantages for people, whether it's in recruiting or whatever it might be."
Saban continued by noting that he remains "all in" on the Crimson Tide:
"I love what I'm doing. I'm focused on the challenge. I've always said I don't want to ride the program down. I don't want to do this if I can't do it anymore. I feel great right now. I love it. We've got lots of challenges this season. I'm looking forward to it. We're all in."
Nick Saban, 71, has led the Crimson Tide to six national championships, also winning one with the LSU Tigers earlier in his coaching career.
Despite the 1-1 start to the season, Alabama could still reach the College Football Playoff for the eighth time in ten seasons of the current format.
Can Nick Saban lead the Alabama Crimson Tide to the College Football Playoff?
Despite their past success, Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide are already in a challenging position entering Week 3. In the nine years of the four-team playoff format, there has never been a two-loss team that made the playoffs.
While the postseason field will expand to 12 teams in 2024, it is unlikely that there will be a team with two losses in the CFP this year. The Crimson Tide will likely have to run the table to enter the postseason.
Although they have a demanding Southeastern Conference schedule, with several ranked opponents, Alabama could reach the conference title game with one loss.
However, a matchup with the Georgia Bulldogs could await them in the SEC Championship Game with their season on the line. While the Crimson Tide could make it to the postseason, they face an arduous path to do so.