Nick Saban’s fiery defense of the SEC on national TV just gave Curt Cignetti’s ESPN criticism a powerful co-signer. Saban waded into the fierce SEC-Big Ten debate on The Pat McAfee Show, offering a breakdown that reignited the entire conversation across college football.
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The former Alabama coach was asked to compare the SEC and Big Ten, and he wasted little time making his preference clear. “Let’s be honest, guys. I mean, okay, what’s better than the SEC? You guys want to kind of call the Big Ten the NFL?” Saban said on the Pat McAfee podcast, pushing back on the idea that the Big Ten deserves to be viewed as the stronger conference.
Pat McAfee then brought up a point that has strengthened the Big Ten’s argument in recent years. The conference has produced three different national champions in the last three seasons, with Michigan winning in 2023, Ohio State in 2024, and Indiana in 2025.
But Saban was not convinced that proved the Big Ten had better depth.
“That means they had a good team at the top. That’s all I’m talking about: top-to-bottom depth in the conference, tough places to play, and great competition week in and week out,” Saban said.
The discussion got even more interesting when a co-host brought up the Big Ten’s record against the SEC in bowl games. Saban quickly dismissed that argument.
“Bowl games mean nothing. Players don’t want to play in bowl games. Coaches don’t want to coach in bowl games. Nobody goes to bowl games anymore,” he said.
McAfee suggested that the upcoming games would help settle the debate, but Saban wanted to focus on how many strong teams each conference had before comparing the programs at the bottom.
Cignetti, meanwhile, had already made his feelings about ESPN clear. The Indiana head coach accused the network of giving the SEC too much attention, saying, “The SEC gets a lot of love from ESPN, you know, and all their writers that they don’t technically pay but march to their drum.” His criticism came after the first College Football Playoff rankings featured 10 SEC teams compared to six from the Big Ten.
There is also a business connection behind the criticism. ESPN holds the exclusive media rights to SEC sports under a deal that runs through the 2033-34 season. The network also broadcasts the weekly CFP rankings reveal. However, the rankings themselves are decided by a 13-member selection committee, not ESPN.
These ranking gaps carry massive real-world stakes. A higher SEC rank gives multi-loss teams home-field advantage and first-round CFP byes, while undefeated or single-loss Big Ten teams get pushed down the seed line. Cignetti’s complaint hits hard because biased rankings don’t just spark TV debate. They directly alter playoff paths and dictate millions in postseason conference revenue.
The initial rankings gave Cignetti another reason to question how teams were being evaluated. Two-loss Alabama opened at No. 5 with a 6-2 record, ahead of undefeated UCLA at No. 8. Two-loss Texas was ranked No. 7, while Ohio State, also with two losses, sat at No. 12. The SEC had five teams in the top 10, compared to just two from the Big Ten.
That Alabama ranking also caught McAfee’s attention during his conversation with Saban. He joked that the committee seemed to have so much faith in the Crimson Tide that they could lose to LSU and still have a shot at making the playoffs. With two losses already, Alabama’s position at No. 5 certainly gave McAfee something to talk about.
Saban then brought up the 2014 playoff and wondered whether regular-season games would still feel as important if the playoff had always included more teams. He said the conversation would probably focus more on home-field advantage, rankings, and seeding. McAfee joked that more Big Ten teams would get in, but Saban kept his focus on the bigger picture. He believes the expanded playoff gives more teams a chance and makes the rest of the season even more exciting.
As the debate wrapped up, McAfee and the co-hosts playfully called out Saban for his obvious, deep-rooted SEC bias. Saban didn’t run from it. While he made it clear he respects the Big Ten, he openly admitted where his heart lies. “Look, I coached in the Big Ten for a long time. I’m not anti-Big Ten. I think the Big Ten is a great league,” he said. The hosts then teased him about his past criticism of the conference in his documentary. Saban joked that he only disliked the ending because of how cold it was.
Then again, you can’t blame Nick Saban, though. He’s been around the SEC longer than some of its current players have been alive! For now, Saban is sticking with his conference, while Cignetti continues to question how the SEC is being treated in the playoff discussion. With 10 SEC teams and six Big Ten teams in the initial top 25, this debate is far from over.