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Nick Saban Had Hilariously Honest Admission About Julian Sayin on ‘College GameDay’
Nick Saban had jokes on Saturday’s edition of ESPN’s College GameDay.
The former Alabama coach and current analyst spent time with current Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin during his final season with the Crimson Tide. Sayin joined Alabama as an early enrollee during the 2023 season. He entered the transfer portal following the team’s overtime loss to Michigan in the College Football Playoff semifinal and Saban’s departure.
As the GameDay crew discussed Sayin’s strong first season starting for the Buckeyes Saturday, Saban reminisced on the former five-star QB’s time at Alabama in funny fashion.
“I think one point I’d like to make about Julian Sayin is he was at Alabama and the coach at Alabama played him on the scout team for a whole year,” Saban said. “What a dumbass.”
"The coach at Alabama played [Julian Sayin] on the scout team for a whole year. What a dumbass." 😭
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) November 1, 2025
Nick Saban with an all-timer 😂 pic.twitter.com/PFJ6UHDLZq
There’s nothing like some self-deprecating humor.
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Sayin has thrown for 1,872 yards with 19 touchdowns to three interceptions as he leads the 7-0 Buckeyes in their quest to defend as national champions. He’s put himself toward the top of Heisman Trophy conversations as we inch closer toward the regular season’s conclusion. The Tide have been just fine themselves this year with Ty Simpson at the helm, another top Heisman candidate.
The seven-time national champion coach may regret not staying for a few more years in an effort to keep Sayin and have him take over as Alabama’s QB. All he can do now is look back and laugh.
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Blake Silverman is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, he covered the WNBA, NBA, G League and college basketball for numerous sites, including Winsidr, SB Nation's Detroit Bad Boys and A10Talk. He graduated from Michigan State University before receiving a master's in sports journalism from St. Bonaventure University. Outside of work, he's probably binging the latest Netflix documentary, at a yoga studio or enjoying everything Detroit sports. A lifelong Michigander, he lives in suburban Detroit with his wife, young son and their personal petting zoo of two cats and a dog.