Former Georgia RB makes bold statement against CFP committee with reference to Nick Saban's retirement: “I think they didn’t want to see us"

Former Georgia Bulldogs RB James Cook did not shy away from sharing his opinions about his alma mater being left out of the playoffs last season instead of Nick Saban's Alabama.

The Michigan Wolverines were crowned the national champions last month. Despite Georgia's glorious season, they did not make the playoffs after an SEC Championship loss to Alabama, their only defeat of the season.

Eventually, Nick Saban's team succumbed to Jim Harbaugh's Wolverines in the CFP semifinal. After the national championship, Saban announced his retirement from coaching, which sent shockwaves around the CFB world.

Recently, during an interview with USA Today, Cook shared his thoughts on Georgia denied the chance to three-peat the national championship and Saban's retirement potentially playing a massive role in it.

He said that the CFP Selection Committee knew about Saban's retirement and were trying to give him one last hoorah, which is why the Bulldogs did not make the playoffs.

"We were suppose to be in there this year, said Cook. "We in the playoffs- if Georgia is in the playoffs this year, we win it all. And I think they didn't want to see us go back-to-back-to-back. We lost one game to Alabama in the SEC Championship and haven't been beaten the whole season.

"It was like the same scenario like my last year in college. We won every game and lost to Alabama in the SEC Championship, but we still got in and went on an won it all. But I just feel like they knew Nick Saban was gonna retire, so they tried to sneak him one."

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Did James Cook play against Nick Saban during his college career?

Cook joined the Georgia Bulldogs as a true freshman in 2018. He spent four seasons with the Bulldogs before declaring for the 2022 NFL draft, where he was drafted 63rd overall by the Buffalo Bills.

James Cook was a part of the Georgia team that won their first national championship in 40 years, in 2021. That season, the Bulldogs lost the SEC Championship game to Saban's Alabama, just like in 2023.

Nevertheless, Georgia made the playoffs, where they beat Michigan in the playoffs before avenging their loss to Alabama with a 33-18 victory to become the national champions.