Overview

• On The Pat McAfee Show in Eugene, Nick Saban said the Big Ten is not very deep, asserting only three or four teams can consistently win compared with eight or nine in the SEC.
• Saban labeled Ohio State, Oregon and Indiana as the Big Ten’s legit threats and cast doubt on Penn State, USC and Illinois, while reserving a possible nod for Michigan.
• Pressed by A.J. Hawk, Saban doubled down and questioned claims of expanded Big Ten depth, asking, “Deeper by what? By who?”
• He cited Georgia, Alabama, Ole Miss, Missouri, Texas A&M and Tennessee as examples of SEC strength, calling many of them “pretty good” teams.
• Coverage split over the claims, with some pointing to the US LBM Coaches Poll showing more SEC teams in the top 25, while others cited SP+ metrics indicating the leagues are closely matched as Oregon–Indiana, Michigan–USC and other games loom as barometers.