Nick Saban comments on Alabama players' disappointment after picking Georgia and Texas for SEC Championship

Nick Saban surprised Alabama fans and players when he picked rivals Georgia and Texas to win the 2024 SEC Championship. The seven-time national champion made his pick on the SEC Network with Greg McElroy and Benjamin Watson during SEC's Media Day on Monday.

Saban addressed his decision on ESPN's College Football Live.

"I picked Georgia and Texas. However, as a coach, I wanted to avoid getting picked to win the SEC. The players out there are disappointed in me for not picking Alabama because I never picked Alabama!"

Coach Saban didn't back down and wanted his comments to fuel the Crimson Tide into a potential championship push under new coach Kalen DeBoer.

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Why did Nick Saban pick Georgia and Texas for the SEC Championship?

According to Saban, the Georgia Bulldogs and the Texas Longhorns are the teams to beat in the stacked SEC this season. He believes them to meet at the 2024 SEC Championship Game.

The Georgia Bulldogs had a perfect season in 2023 until the Nick Saban-coached Alabama Crimson Tide beat them in the SEC Championship Game. The defeat knocked the Bulldogs out of CFP contention and the chance to make it three national championships under coach Kirby Smart.

The Texas Longhorns, meanwhile, also had an impressive season, making the CFP semi-finals. The franchise lost just one game in the regular season and was among the most impressive teams in collegiate football.

They will look to go at least one better in 2024 and hope that Quinn Ewers closes out his collegiate football career on a high.

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Why not Alabama?

Nick Saban didn't quite rule out the Alabama Crimson Tide from SEC Championship contention. The iconic coach said on SEC Media Day,

"I believe in our Alabama team, too. I believe in Jalen Milroe. The question marks in the secondary until those get resolved; it is hard to jump on that bandwagon.

The Tuscaloosa icon continued:

"Bama has got a lot of good players. They have got question marks in the secondary, especially at the corner, and getting Proctor back was important as they were rather weak at tackle.

"So that will help them, but I think the depth of the squad would be the biggest question. Can Alabama stay healthy? They have enough good first-line players to compete against any team."

Hence, while coach Saban has doubts about his former team's chances of playing in this year's SEC Championship, he believes the Crimson Tide can face any team and have an ample chance of winning.