Nick Saban pushes back hard on Desmond Howard’s SEC basketball take

Jeff Hauser

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Nick Saban pushes back hard on Desmond Howard’s SEC basketball take image

Nick Saban wasn’t letting Desmond Howard’s latest shot at the SEC go unchallenged.

During Saturday’s edition of ESPN’s College GameDay in Atlanta, Howard declared that the SEC had essentially become a “basketball conference." He referenced the Big Ten’s dominance at the top of the College Football Playoff rankings with unbeaten Ohio State and Indiana.

The comment instantly drew boos from the Alabama and Georgia fans packed behind the set and got a rebuttal from Saban.

Howard argued that the national title race now runs through the Big Ten, praising the strength of Ohio State, Indiana and Oregon. He even suggested the Buckeyes would face a road-game environment in their conference title matchup. As he leaned deeper into the bit, Howard continued teasing SEC fans, insisting they should embrace their “basketball conference” identity.

Saban interjected with a sharp, understated counterpunch. Referencing former Alabama star Caleb Downs, who transferred to Ohio State and then publicly compared the two leagues. “You obviously didn’t see Caleb Downs explaining the difference between playing in the SEC and the Big Ten. Obviously.”

The ongoing debate about conference strength as Selection Sunday approaches will soon be answered. The SEC promotes itself as an incredibly strong and deep conference. 

Even during rivalry week and championship weekend, the SEC vs. Big Ten argument never takes a day off. We'll see what happens tomorrow when the final CFP rankings are released. 

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