Nick Saban Says His SEC Championship Pick Was 'Reverse Rat Poison' For Alabama

The legendary head coach picked Georgia and Texas to play in the 2024 SEC Championship Game.

Feb 17, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide former head football coach Nick Saban looks on during a basketball game between Alabama and the Texas A&M Aggies at Coleman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports / Gary CosbyJr.-USA TODAY Sports

The Alabama football program saw legendary head coach Nick Saban announce his retirement in January after 17 seasons at the helm of the Crimson Tide juggernaut. He announced his intention to join ESPN as an analyst shortly after, making Saban officially a member of the media.

Saban made headlines in July on the first day of SEC Media Days when predicting that Georgia and Texas would meet in the SEC Championship Game this coming season.

"Well, it's kind of reverse rat poison. I always hated it and I'm going to have it on this show. I might as well say it right off the bat, this show or any show or GameDay, having to predict and make hypothetical decisions about who's going to win a game, who's going to win a championship, who's going to win what conference. So, I've always hated that," said Saban on the Pat McAfee Show on Friday.

"So I picked Georgia and Texas because it's reverse rat poison for Alabama. It's a motivating factor for them not to get picked because I hated to be picked first or second because you don't know how that's going to impact your team. Physiologically, you know, these kids are affected a lot by what they read, what they hear, what they see. I didn’t want them to see anything too good.”

Saban's championship game prediction wasn't out of bounds as the rest of the media in Dallas picked Georgia and Texas to meet in Atlanta. The SEC eliminated divisions for the upcoming season, making this season's championship game the top two teams in league standings for the first time ever.