Nick Saban shares why he was surprisingly grateful for media’s ‘rat poison’

There are few things Nick Saban hates more than “rat poison” from the media. But this week, he actually appreciated the rat poison.

Why? Because it finally worked in Alabama’s favor.

Alabama entered Saturday’s SEC Championship Game as a 6 or 7-point underdog against Georgia. The Crimson Tide’s offense struggled the week before against Auburn in the Iron Bowl, while Georgia’s defense has looked invincible.

All the talk that Bama was inferior to Georgia worked in Saban’s favor because it helped motivate his team. Saban said the rat poison from the media was “yummy.”

Nick Saban on his team being an underdog: "You guys gave us a lot of really positive rat poison. … The rat poison you put out there this week was yummy."

— David Ubben (@davidubben) December 5, 2021

Is Saban saying things couldn’t have worked out better for his team? Maybe so.

The Tide will not necessarily be the favorites in the College Football Playoff either, which should work in Saban’s favor. Maybe the underdog status was all Saban needed.

Photo: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports