Nick Saban slams Big Ten for lack of depth

Jeff Hauser

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Nick Saban slams Big Ten for lack of depth image

Nick Saban had plenty to say about the Big Ten on Friday. 

While on The Pat McAfee Show ahead of No. 7 Indiana’s matchup with No. 3 Oregon, the former Alabama coach questioned the overall strength of the conference.

“I don’t think the Big Ten is really that deep,” Saban said. “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.”

He was pressed by former NFL linebacker A.J. Hawk to clarify his comments, Saban doubled down. “Deeper by what? By who? Maybe Michigan. We’ll see tomorrow about USC,” he said. “They’re alright, but alright is not what I’m talking about. You think USC is going to beat Ohio State? You think that would really be a game?”

Saban named only Ohio State, Oregon and Indiana as legitimate contenders, while dismissing much of the rest of the league. He based that with the SEC, with Georgia, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Missouri, Alabama and Tennessee all capable of contending.

The remarks reignited the ongoing debate over which league reigns supreme in college football. For this week it's the Big Ten with ESPN College GameDay in Eugene for the big one between the Ducks and Hoosiers.

The SEC has captured 13 of the past 19 national titles, but the Big Ten has claimed the past two. However, Saban remains confident in his belief that the SEC’s week-to-week grind remains unmatched. Even as the scoreboard in recent seasons suggests otherwise, there's still a lot the Big Ten has to prove in the coming years. 

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Jeff Hauser

Jeff Hauser is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He has over twenty years of experience and is a two-time Emmy Award winner, Heisman Trophy and Biletnikoff Award voter. Among the events he has covered are the Super Bowl, College Football Playoff, World Series, World Cup, and WBC Boxing. Hauser is a regular guest on FOX Sports and ESPN Radio. He previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, SB Nation and Athlon Sports.