While coaches across the country, especially those in contention for the national title, discuss the final College Football Playoff rankings, the truth may lie somewhere in their actual ballot.
USA Today revealed each coach’s ballot for its coaches poll, including Alabama coach Nick Saban’s, where he stayed true to the SEC, and voted Texas A&M in at No. 4. That kind of move is well received across Aggie Land and the rest of the conference.
Overall, Saban ranked four SEC teams in the top 10, including Florida at No. 8 and Georgia at No. 9.
On ESPN’s Selection Show, Saban seemed satisfied with how the actual rankings came out.
“I think that was the big thing about this season,” he said. “The people who played 10 or 11 games had to survive the grind. That’s why I thought those teams should be rewarded. I think Ohio State has a great team and they probably deserve to be in the Playoff as well based on the quality of team they have.”
Here’s Saban’s full ballot:
1. Alabama
2. Clemson
3. Notre Dame
4. Texas A&M
5. Ohio State
6. Cincinnati
7. Oklahoma
8. Florida
9. Georgia
10. Indiana
11. Coastal Carolina
12. Iowa State
13. North Carolina
14. Iowa
15. Southern California
16. Northwestern
17. Brigham Young
18. Miami (Fla.)
19. Louisiana-Lafayette
20. Texas
21. Oklahoma State
22. San Jose State
23. North Carolina State
24. Oregon
25. Tulsa
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
