Nick Saban Explains Why He Loved Playing 'Bad Teams'

The former Crimson Tide coach joined "The Pat McAfee Show" this week and shared some insight into his mindset when he was facing off against what many would refer to as "bad teams".

Saban said, "You know, I loved it when we played a bad team, and we didn't play very well against them because then I could get on everybody's [expletive] about that. I just loved that."

He continued, "But I do think it's really hard when you play twelve games, to be up for every game. I really do."

The seven time national champion said, "You have to be able to play to a level, to a standard, that you can get through those kind of games because the fans don't wanna see those games, the players don't really want to play in those games, so I don't think you can read too much into it if they don't play their best football against a not so good opponent."

One of Saban's toughest games against an unranked opponent came in his final season at the helm of the Crimson Tide against a feisty South Florida team in the rain. The Tide pulled out a close win, 17-3, but came away with more questions than answers at the time.

The coach spoke specifically about that game, saying, "I was walking around in the locker room during the rain delay, saying 'Could we really lose to these guys?' And we could have."

He expanded further on playing home and home series with lower level teams, "I would never do a two for one. We did it with South Florida, and I was miserable about it to go there and play... Your team doesn't want to go there and play."

While Saban and the Tide did pull out the win in South Florida, it was certainly one of the coach's least shining moments across his illustrious career in Crimson and White. So far this season, Kalen DeBoer and the current regime have handled business against "bad teams", defeating ULM 73-0 in the home opener, but with a long season ahead, the jury is still out on this year's Alabama team.

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