Nick Saban: 'I Don’t Really Care About the Rankings Right Now’

The initial College Football Playoff poll releases next week, but Nick Saban isn't worried about where Alabama is ranked.

The Alabama football program is enjoying an off week as they've completed the first eight weeks of the season. The Crimson Tide is currently ranked No. 9 in the AP poll and sits behind a number of undefeated teams as the month of October concludes.

Despite not playing a game this weekend, the Crimson Tide still has ample reason to pay attention to next week's initial iteration of the 2023 College Football Playoff rankings. Alabama sits at 7-1 and must jump a number of schools in the season's final month of the year if the Tide is to return to the College Football Playoffs.

On his Thursday appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Alabama head coach Nick Saban was asked how closely he would be following the initial rankings and how much he's thought about the fact a two-loss team has yet to make the CFP. 

"Well, I think the second part of that question is pretty legitimate because I felt like last year, and I've said this publicly before, we were probably one of the best four teams in the country but because we lost two games on the last play of the game we never got in the playoffs," Saban said. 

"I think they should put more emphasis on strength of schedule, who you play, how many top 20 teams you played and beat, whatever it might be. So that you get the best teams in the game. I'm not sure there's so much public sentiment for making sure that you win your conference championship or whatever. I think when you go to 12 teams you'll definitely get the best teams in, but right now it can be a little bit hit or miss."

Alabama's only loss is to fellow top-10 team in Texas in the second week of the season as Alabama surrendered 21-fourth quarter points to lose to the Longhorns by 10-points. The Crimson Tide boasts an undefeated SEC record with victories over Tennessee, Texas A&M and Ole Miss shining the brightest. 

With just four games remaining, it's important that Alabama sends a strong message to the voters on the playoff committee.

"I don't really care much about the rankings right now because they really don't matter unless you win the next game, they really don't matter unless you win the next game after that," Saban said.  "So you've got to stay focused on sort of the here and now, we've talked about that before. In terms of trying to do everything you can do on the front end to make sure your team is playing the best in the next game and try to develop some kind of consistency in performance so you have a chance to end up where you need to end up so you can get into the playoffs when the time comes at the end of the season."

The first edition of the College Football Playoff poll will be released on Tuesday, Oct. 31 between 6-7 p.m. CT on ESPN. 

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