Nick Saban says Alabama is trying to get 10 Power 5 opponents on future schedules
When addressing the topic of strength of schedule, Nick Saban believes Power 5 teams need to be playing more Power 5 games.
According to Chris Low with ESPN, Saban recently discussed the topic and addressed Alabama’s future schedules. Saban said the Crimson Tide are working towards a goal of playing 10 Power 5 games a year on their future schedules, and it is a model he believes other Power 5 teams should employ.
Saban pointed out that such a model would benefit everyone in college football, including the fans:
“I’ve always said, ‘Let’s play all Power 5 games,'” Saban told ESPN on Friday. “I was in the NFL where we played all the games against NFL teams. But let’s play at least 10 Power 5 games. It would be better for the players, better for the fans, and I think you wouldn’t have to worry that if you lost a game that you wouldn’t have as much of a chance to still be in [the College Football Playoff]. They talk about strength of schedule now, but how do you really evaluate that?”
Under Saban’s model, he went on to explain that Alabama is working towards one home-and-home Power 5 game and one neutral site Power 5 game a year, provided the SEC sticks with eight conference games. For what it’s worth, Saban has said he would be in favor of adding a ninth SEC game to the schedule.
The idea would not necessarily have much of an impact on the B1G, Big 12, or Pac-12. Those conferences already play nine conference games a year, so just one nonconference, Power 5 matchup a season would give each team 10 Power 5 games. The ACC and SEC are the only Power 5 conferences with eight league games.
Would you be in favor of this model?