ESPN’s *College GameDay* has long been the most-watched college football pregame show, and recent additions like Nick Saban and Pat McAfee have injected fresh energy into the program, which had seemed to lose some of its spark in recent years.
With longtime analyst Lee Corso missing more episodes and playing a reduced role, Saban and McAfee have been welcomed as new faces, bringing a different dynamic to the show. Each week now seems to bring surprises, whether through theatrics or insightful commentary. This past week was no exception, as former Alabama coach Nick Saban shared some surprising thoughts about the Crimson Tide’s historic rivals, Auburn and Tennessee.
What did Saban say about Auburn and Tennessee?
While Auburn is Alabama’s in-state rival and widely regarded as their fiercest foe, Saban revealed that motivating his players for the Auburn game was actually more difficult than for Tennessee. “For our players, [Tennessee] was a bigger rivalry than any other game we played,” Saban said. “Even bigger than Auburn to our players. It was always difficult for me to get our players up for the Auburn game, it was never difficult for Tennessee.”
This statement surprised the *GameDay* crew and likely most college football fans, given the intensity of the Iron Bowl rivalry. Over the years, iconic moments like the “Kick Six” and “Cam Back” have defined the Alabama-Auburn rivalry, with Alabama leading the series 50-37-1 (a 56.9% win rate). Saban himself went 12-5 against Auburn, a record not quite as dominant as his 16-1 mark against Tennessee. Alabama’s all-time record against Tennessee stands at 59-40-7.
Despite the close series record with Auburn and their in-state rivalry, Saban suggested that his players were consistently more motivated for Tennessee, perhaps explaining Alabama’s frequent success against the Volunteers.
