Well, week 1 was a big win for Nick Saban! This season, the legendary coach tried something new, stepping into the new shoes of a host on ESPN. 

Just like how there were doubts when Kalen DeBoer took over at Alabama, there were also questions about Saban’s fit in his new role as an ESPN commentator. And now, the GOAT put those doubts to rest!

Nick Saban is bringing in big numbers and is no longer a misfit on the “College GameDay” show. Even Sports host Jon Weiner had high praise for Saban’s debut, saying, “Saban is QB1 on that show,” and adding, “It’s not McAfee, it’s not Desmond Howard—Nick Saban is really good at this.”

Well, the usually shy Saban showed off his speaking skills during Week 0 of the season opener between Florida State and Georgia Tech in Ireland. Sharing the mic with Pat McAfee and Pat White, he delivered sharp responses and tried to connect with the younger crowd more. However, Weiner’s co-host thought Saban seemed a bit “stiff and starched” for the youthful vibe, saying Saban needs to “work with those parts” since he doesn’t bring the same young crowd as McAfee.

But there’s no doubt their combo has grabbed attention. Just this Wednesday, ESPN reported that the Notre Dame and Texas A&M game on “College GameDay” was a huge hit, with an average of 2.5 million viewers tuning in. And this is a massive 47% jump from last season.

Now it sure seems like the unexpected Saban-McAfee combo is winning over the viewers. In fact, it also gave Ole Miss HC Lane Kiffin a ROLF moment. 

Nick Saban’s act leaves Lane Kiffin in splits

The first week of the CFB season was a real treat for ESPN fans. And it’s all due to the fun dynamic between Nick Saban and Pat McAfee. Their yin and yang energies were a hit throughout the broadcast. At one point during Saturday’s livestream, McAfee was seen enjoying the commercial break, dancing in his seat, and snapping his fingers to the beat. And what did Nick Saban do, sitting right next to him? Well, he didn’t say anything much, but his face said it all. He gave McAfee a side-eye and a look that clearly said, ‘What is this guy doing?’ Looks like the GOAT wasn’t in the mood for fun while he was in work mode!

The clip soon became viral, but the laughs didn’t stop there. Saban’s old Alabama colleague, and Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, joined in on the fun, too. When College GameDay first aired, Kiffin hyped it up with a tweet saying, “Love seeing him.” But it seemed like he meant he loved seeing Saban struggle with the high-energy vibes around him. Kiffin later shared a meme of Saban’s salty moment that had the caption, “When I’m drunk, but my husband is completely sober,” adding a laughing emoji to it.

Well, though Saban might seem serious, all the fun stuff happening around him sets the vibe right for the viewers.