Nick Saban roasts himself over Ohio State QB Julian Sayin’s scout team days on College GameDay

Nick Saban, the legendary former Alabama coach, delivered a hilarious self-roast on ESPN’s College GameDay, poking fun at his decision to keep Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin on the scout team during his brief Crimson Tide stint. The moment highlighted Sayin’s explosive rise with the No. 1 Buckeyes ahead of their massive clash against Penn State.

Nick Saban’s hilarious self-criticism

During Saturday’s pregame show, Saban broke down Ohio State’s offense and couldn’t resist a jab at his past choices. “I think one point I’d like to make about Julian Sayin is he was at Alabama,” Saban began. “And the coach at Alabama played him on the scout team for a whole year.”

The 74-year-old icon retired after the 2023 season, prompting Sayin’s transfer through the spring portal. Saban later doubled down on the humor, repeating: “One point I think I’d like to make about Julian Sayin is he was at Alabama, and the coach at Alabama played him on the scout team for a whole year.”

Julian Sayin’s dominant 2025 season

Julian Sayin, a sophomore sensation, has lit up college football in his first year as Ohio State’s starter. He has registered 1,872 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, and just three interceptions. The former five-star recruit from Carlsbad High in California has three games with at least 300 yards and multiple touchdowns.

Saban praised Sayin’s skills extensively. “Julian Sayin is actually 80 percent completion percentage, leads the nation,” he said. “This guy is very accurate. He can make all the throws. He has great judgement. He’s got really good receivers to throw the ball to. Sometimes the receivers make the quarterback good. Sometimes the quarterback makes the receivers look good. These guys make each other look good.”

Ranked as the No. 1 prospect in California, No. 2 quarterback, and No. 8 overall in the 2024 class by Rivals, Sayin enrolled early at Alabama for the 2023 Rose Bowl semifinal against Michigan. But Saban’s retirement changed everything.

From Alabama exit to Buckeyes stardom

Sayin opened up about his departure in January. “I just didn’t really have a relationship with them,” he said of the new Alabama staff. “Just felt like I should enter the portal and ended up at a great spot here.”

Now thriving under coach Ryan Day, Sayin has entered the Heisman Trophy conversation. Ohio State faces Penn State at noon ET on Saturday in a matchup that could shape the Big Ten race.

Ryan Day focuses amid Penn State drama

Penn State fired head coach James Franklin recently, adding intrigue to the game. Day reflected on his rival, “James, anytime you’re somewhere for as long as he had been, he did a lot of great things,” Day said. “We had a lot of great games against each other. You take a chance to reflect on it all, but he’s going to land on his feet because he’s a really good coach. But then you’ve got to get back to work, so that’s the world we live in.

“We need to focus on what matters to us and what’s at hand. I said it before, whether it’s the positive things or negative things or things like that, those are all noise out there, we need to stay focused on. There’s a lot that comes at you, whether you’re a player or a coach. Our ability to focus and concentrate on what’s important is critical. That’s what we need to do.”