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Nick Saban says Ohio State fans need to fix ‘psychotic obsession’ with Michigan
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Nick Saban thinks Ohio State, in top form, is the most talented team in the country. And the Buckeyes are still very much alive in the hunt for the National Championship.
But the fanbase needs a reality check in Saban’s mind.
During a segment on College GameDay last weekend, ESPN’s Marty Smith went to Columbus to talk with Ohio State fans about Ryan Day, his program, and his inability to beat Michigan. Fans told Smith they were “embarrassed” and felt like they were only in the College Football Playoff because it had expanded. They told him a national title would have an asterisk because Ohio State lost a fourth straight game to Michigan. They told him they’d trade a 44-1 record under Day against every other Big Ten team for 4 wins over the Wolverines.
Saban, a commentator on GameDay this year, watched that segment. And he’s heard Buckeye fans. During his weekly appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Friday, the legendary head coach said fans need to seek professional help.
“These Ohio State fans, they’ve got a psychotic obsession with Michigan and they need to go get therapy or something to try to get it fixed,” Saban said. “They have a chance to win the national championship and here you are, you know, and nobody’s excited about their opportunity to play because they, you know, lost to Michigan, which was a tough game and they lost the game, probably, by some of the mistakes that they made. Those are correctable things. But I think this is probably the most talented team if they play to the standard — offense, defense, they’ve pretty much got it all.”
Perhaps the comments were delivered a little tongue-in-cheek. Some rivalries mean everything to the respective fanbases. It’s hard to imagine Saban saying the same about the Iron Bowl. But Saban also lost an Iron Bowl in 2017 and went on to win a national championship.
McAfee opined that Buckeyes fans were “all the way back” following Ohio State’s 42-17 win over Tennessee in the first round.
Such is life in Columbus. Big expectations, big reactions, big stakes. Nick Saban, of all people, knows something about that. When Alabama lost to Vanderbilt earlier this year, it felt like the sky was falling on Kalen DeBoer.
But Ohio State is, as Saban said, very much in the thick of the title race. ESPN Bet has the Buckeyes priced at +350 to win the national championship — the second-shortest odds of any remaining CFP team. ESPN’s FPI lists the Buckeyes as the third-most likely national champion (17.2%), behind Texas (27.5%) and Notre Dame (20.0%).
“Yeah, I think they’re the most talented team. But, you know, you mentioned A-game. How consistently do they play to their capabilities? I think that’s the consistency and performance that you’re looking for to be successful,” said Saban. “If they play like they played against Tennessee, they’re going to have a really good chance to have a chance to win a championship.
Ohio State plays Oregon in the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl on Wednesday. The Buckeyes are a 2.5-point favorite in the game.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
