Nick Saban didn’t need long to make his point about how much college football has changed.
The former Alabama coach, whose Crimson Tide teams were a constant national force across his 17-year run in Tuscaloosa, pointed to the pressures of the NIL era as a reason he believes more programs are struggling to stay sharp from week to week.
“I talked to a college coach this week who has a bye week next week, and all he’s doing is meeting with agents.” Saban said.
“It’s the middle of the season. Guys are worried about how much playing time am I getting, what I’m going to do if I don’t get enough playing time.
I’m playing well, so how much money am I going to make next year there or someplace else? The reason we’re seeing a lot of these inconsistencies in performance is people are struggling to sustain their intensity week in and week out.
Maybe it’s people are more conditionally committed to their team because the circumstances we’re putting these players in. If you can’t sustain intensity, you can’t sustain the level of performance you want to sustain, you can’t play smart, you can’t play with intelligence.
It all starts with your mental energy, and that starts with your commitment to your team and to your development as a player.”
Saban’s comments came as a number of top teams have taken unexpected hits over the last three weeks of the 2026 regular season. He also referenced the recent Week 7 losses suffered by Alabama, Texas and Georgia this past Saturday.
For Saban, the issue goes beyond one bad Saturday or a few upset-filled weekends. He sees a sport where the demands around players, coaches and rosters have changed, and where the grind of keeping a team locked in is harder than it used to be.
In Other News...
Alabama Faces A Brutal Late Twist Before Texas A&M Showdown
Alabamas injury report for the Texas A&M game delivered a rougher-than-expected update late in the week, with three key players in Racin Delgatty, Zabien Brown and EJ Crowell all downgraded to doubtful. The Tide are already preparing to be without star wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams and defensive lineman Terrance Green, a combination that tightens the margin for error as they get ready for a matchup that has taken on added weight.
Texas A&M, meanwhile, got a more encouraging read on its own availability list, with Mario Craver and DJ Hicks both upgraded to probable. For Alabama, the timing makes the depth chart even more important and leaves the final call on several contributors hanging over what was already shaping up as a demanding road test. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Saban Just Shared A Side Of Himself Alabama Fans Know Well
Nick Saban spent part of ESPNs College GameDay in Salt Lake City leaning into a sport Alabama fans know he has come to enjoy more and more, offering a reminder that his competitive curiosity has never been limited to football. The former Crimson Tide coach, who is also a minority owner of the NHLs Nashville Predators, talked about his growing appreciation for hockey and connected it to the same kinds of principles he used while building elite teams in Tuscaloosa.
The setting made the conversation even more fitting, with Salt Lake City set to host the 2034 Winter Olympics and hockey very much part of the local sports conversation. Sabans comments underscored how naturally he sees the overlap between the two sports, from assembling talent to creating a team that can sustain success, even if the details of how deep that interest now runs were left hanging. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Faces A Costly Availability Problem Before Texas A&M
Alabamas availability report ahead of Texas A&M brought an unwelcome update for a team trying to keep its footing in a key SEC stretch. Zabien Brown, Racin Delgatty and EJ Crowell were all downgraded to doubtful, a rough sign for a roster already dealing with injury concerns after the physical win over Tennessee.
Delgatty is expected to miss a second straight game, while Brown and Crowell were hurt in that Tennessee matchup and now face a questionable path to Saturday. On the other sideline, Texas A&M got a bit of a boost with two players upgraded to probable, adding another layer to a game where availability could matter as much as form. [Read more 🡒]