Nick Saban appeared on the Pat McAfee Show on Thursday. Naturally, the College Football Playoff was brought up and McAfee asked Saban if he had heard any of the noise surrounding his team.

The legendary coach did admit that his phone had “been getting blown up” from other schools who felt Alabama was not the most deserving team in the field and Saban was responsible for the Tide getting in. Florida State had a massive gripe with the Playoff committee. Ultimately, as Saban explained it, he has compassion for those who feel they should be in the field, but his obligation was to promote Alabama for the CFP.

“My responsibility and obligation is to our team, so I did the best job that I could to promote what we’ve been able to accomplish —winning 11 straight games and beating the No. 1 team in the country in Georgia,” Saban explained. “We’re a different team now than we were earlier in the season.”

Saban then went on to explain that he sympathizes with those who were left out because his team has been in that position before.

“Look, we’ve been on the other side of this,” explained the coach. “We’ve been on the outside looking in. We’ve been the team that didn’t get in. I also have compassion & feel bad for the teams that have an argument to get into the CFP and didn’t.”

Saban’s squad suffered a loss to the Texas Longhorns back in September, and then have been on a tear ever since. As Saban pointed out, the team has won 11 games in a row and seems to have finally found its groove.

The Tide were in the dreaded No. 5 spot on selection day in 2022. This season, the Tide will return to the CFP, and will take on the No. 1 Michigan Wolverines in the Rose Bowl.