Nick Saban has never been more confused than seeing Pat McAfee on GameDay (Video)
The expression on Nick Saban’s face while watching Pat McAfee make his pick on College GameDay was filled with confusion and awe.
Nick Saban wasn’t ready for Pat McAfee.
While college football fans have, perhaps, gotten used to McAfee’s unique energy on College GameDay this season, Alabama’s head coach has had other focuses on Saturday mornings.
So Saban looked like he was in a daze while listening to McAfee on the GameDay desk ahead of the National Championship Game on Monday.
Nick Saban looked bemused by Pat McAfee on GameDay
Nick Saban and Lee Corso take in the Pat McAfee experience. #CFP 😂🏈 pic.twitter.com/49jZAFOW2Q
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 10, 2023
Saban wasn’t alone in his reaction either. Lee Corso looked just as mesmerized by McAfee.
College football Twitter took notice.
Watching Saban try to figure out Pat McAfee in real time is something.
— Michael Casagrande (@ByCasagrande) January 10, 2023
https://twitter.com/samponder/status/1612606715991572483
https://twitter.com/BarrettSallee/status/1612606369583996929
Can we get a Nick Saban and Pat McAfee TV show where Nick Saban drops historical football knowledge while Pat continues to get overly hyped and makes it as awkward as possible?
— Sidelines - Bama (@SSN_Alabama) January 10, 2023
can i get a broadcast feed that's just nick saban getting increasingly confused watching pat mcafee do television
— Robby Kalland (@RKalland) January 10, 2023
McAfee’s addition to the GameDay crew has been largely praised. It’s a show that feeds on personality and he certainly brings that.
The odd couple dynamic of Saban and McAfee could be something they mine in the future.
How far in the future that could be is, of course, the question. Saban could retire from coaching whenever he feels like it. He’s achieved everything a coach could achieve at Alabama.
For now, it looks like he intends to keep on going, limiting his GameDay appearances to these kind of big occasions.
Alabama was in the College Football Playoff Championship Game each of the past two years. This year he missed the playoff for the first time since 2019.
After that season, some wrote off Saban’s dynasty at Alabama. He went out and won the national title the next season and played for another one in 2021, losing to Georgia.
It would surprise no one if Saban wasn’t available to appear as an analyst on the CFP title game broadcast next year because he was too busy getting ready to coach in the game.
Next. 5 Alabama stars who won’t be back in 2023 and who will replace them. dark