Saban advocates for CFP bid after Iron Bowl rout

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Nick Saban wasn't definite who had won oregon mislaid astir the state close aft Alabama's 49-27 rout of Auburn connected Saturday, but helium is definite that his squad astatine slightest deserves information for 1 of the 4 sports successful the College Football Playoff.

The Crimson Tide, who've been to each CFP but 1 since its inception successful 2014, would beryllium the archetypal two-loss squad to marque the playoff and would intelligibly request assistance to get there.

"I don't marque those decisions, but I cognize what a resilient shot squad this has been," Saban told ESPN. "We've mislaid 2 games to top-10 opponents, some connected the past play of the crippled and some connected the road. We could person easy won some games but didn't. We're a bully shot squad and hopefully radical volition admit that and we'll get a chance."

Alabama has incurred a fewer scars on the way, whether it was backmost Bryce Young's enarthrosis injury, uncharacteristic penalties and mistakes oregon a defence that gave up a full of 84 points successful the 2 losses. The Tide mislaid 52-49 astatine No. 10 Tennessee connected a last-second tract extremity and 32-31 successful overtime astatine No. 5 LSU erstwhile the Tigers succeeded successful a 2-point conversion.

"We've had a batch of adjacent games, didn't ever play our champion successful those games, but did capable to get to 10 wins and hung successful determination arsenic a team," Saban said. "I conjecture we volition spot what happens now."

Saban was sporting his ain scars aft the game. He was accidentally struck successful the look by a player's enarthrosis pads during a play connected the sideline. His near feature was bloodied and helium had a gash connected his face.

"Man, that's the 3rd clip I've been deed this season. I ne'er utilized to get deed and I saw stars aft this one," said Saban, who joked that helium took the toughest deed of the crippled and didn't adjacent spell to the wounded tent.

Saban said 1 of the differences successful Alabama's squad present is that Young is arsenic steadfast arsenic helium has been aft hurting his close throwing enarthrosis against Arkansas and not playing against Texas A&M. His archetypal crippled backmost was against Tennessee connected Oct. 15.

"Bryce has played great, but helium went a period wherever helium truly couldn't practice," Saban said. "He was capable to travel successful and play astatine his aforesaid level, but we astir apt weren't capable to turn arsenic overmuch astir him arsenic we would person if helium had been capable to signifier more. He's steadfast now, and that makes america a antithetic team."

Alabama (10-2) was No. 7 past week successful the latest College Football Playoff rankings. The Tide are going to request things to autumn conscionable close to ascent into that apical four, but were helped by Clemson, Ohio State and Oregon each losing Saturday. A TCU nonaccomplishment successful the Big 12 title crippled would besides assistance arsenic good arsenic USC losing successful the Pac-12 rubric game.

Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren said Saturday aft Ohio State's nonaccomplishment to Michigan that "without a doubt" the Buckeyes merit a spot successful the playoff. Saban, asked if helium would lobby for Alabama, said, "Look, if I deliberation it volition assistance our team, I'll surely bash that. I haven't truly thought astir it to this point. So, you know, my full absorption was to triumph this game. That's the champion accidental we had for thing bully to hap for us."

Saban said 1 of the things that kept Alabama focused this play was the negativity surrounding the team, which besides won 2 games successful the last seconds against Texas and Texas A&M. This is lone the 4th clip since Saban arrived successful 2007 that Alabama has mislaid 2 games successful the regular season, and helium suggested that possibly immoderate fans were simply spoiled.

"A batch of the things that were written and said astir this squad truly agreed the players," Saban said. "They would accidental things like, 'This is each we have, but each we request is the radical successful this room.' ... We person large fans and a large stadium and a large ambiance contiguous and we admit it and I admit that, and I cognize our players bash arsenic well. But radical who are antagonistic and naysayers, if they enactment the University of Alabama, you are hurting the assemblage oregon hurting the programme due to the fact that it's a reflection connected our civilization and however affirmative we are. And this programme was built connected positive."

Saban noted that Alabama had 95,000 fans coming to the outpouring crippled erstwhile helium archetypal got the job.

"Everybody wanted to beryllium a portion of that," helium said. "It wasn't built connected naysayers. It wasn't built connected negative. It wasn't built connected expectations that if we don't win astatine a definite level that there's going to beryllium a batch of criticism. I deliberation that really brought this squad unneurotic much than thing else, and they wanted to persevere and beryllium what they could do."

As acold arsenic immoderate questions astir the civilization connected this Alabama team, Saban said those usually harvest up erstwhile radical are being critical.

"The civilization of the programme present is conscionable arsenic bully arsenic it's ever been, and the players vie conscionable arsenic good arsenic they ever have," Saban said. "So I don't deliberation there's thing incorrect with the civilization here. We mislaid 2 games by 4 points. Nobody feels worse astir that than maine and the players who've made a tremendous committedness to effort to triumph those games successful pugnacious places connected the road."