Nick Saban holds nothing back-- even from Ohio State fans, to the amusement of Pat McAfee. Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Pat McAfee impressed by how Nick Saban yelled at major CFB program's fan base

Originally posted on CFB-HQ on SI | By Joe Cox | Last updated Sep 3, 2025 11:46 AM ET

When it comes to motivating players and keeping them focused, few can outshine legendary coach Nick Saban. Pat McAfee was left in awe recently with memories of how Saban shot straight with Ohio State fans last season. Saban held forth on success and some fundamental concerns with perceptions in that regard on McAfee's show. which caused the former punter to recall some of his previous memories of Saban's laser focus and intensity.

Saban's tough love for Ohio State fans last year

McAfee recalled with awe how Saban "yelled at" Ohio State fans for a poor attitude toward success (and perhaps some mild psychosis about Michigan). In fact, Saban didn't do much yelling, but his mini-sermons took on very specific intensity.

This seems to be the specific incident that McAfee recalled:

However, the topic wasn't a unique one for Saban and his "focus on the future, stand by your team" approach didn't waver.

Saban on success

Saban expounded on his theories of success at length and helped illustrate his insistence of focus in the present and not the past.

You do something special-- which society promotes this, so we all grow up this way-- and then we should get rewarded for that, and we should be able to rest on our laurels. Kind of like when we all made an A on the first test and then we jacked around for the next two weeks and made a C on the next test.... But this whole concept of having to deal with success, because success is not a continuum, and nothing that you had in the past, that you had success with, is really going to affect your ability to have success in the future. This is not normal. [It's] something that players have to be aware of, that you have to coach into them, that they can't rest on their laurels because everybody's shooting at you.Nick Saban

Saban's own coaching days at Alabama certainly showed numerous incidents in which this philsophy was illustrated. Famously, Saban derided media praise for his team for prior accomplishments as "rat poison."

On another occasion, Saban used his coaches' show to hold forth on the "rat poison" theme.

In another epic press conference, Saban took pregame questions before then No.1 Alabama's game with FCS Charleston Southern and proceeded to criticize what he felt was a media lack of focus on the upcoming game.

Suffice it to say that whether was at the helm of the Tide or working for ESPN, Saban struggles with the bleed-over of past performance into perceptions of success. McAfee may have been impressed, but it's par for the course for the legendary coach.

This article first appeared on CFB-HQ on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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