The writing was on the walls but is now set in stone. The CFP Committee has officialized the inaugural 12-team playoff bracket. They hammered the proverbial nail in the coffin of those teams that were on the periphery. Alabama did appear to have swindled their way through the cracks at first, courtesy of Miami. However, Clemson’s manner of victory in the ACC Championship meant the gap ceased, and Kalen DeBoer was essentially drawing dead.

Becoming the heir to Nick Saban’s throne in Tuscaloosa was always going to be a tall task. However, the expanded playoff did leave room for some growing pains. Not enough room for 3 losses worth of it though. Coach Saban gave his take on this reality, and his daughter Kristen Saban adheres.

Barstool Sports’ Kayce Smith relayed the words of Nick Saban in an X post. “‘No coach should complain about their position in or out of the playoff. They all controlled their own destiny. This is a learning opportunity for those teams and coaches.’- Nick Saban”, she said. She then went on to post this on her IG, with a caption reading, “Your dad is preaching @kristennsaban”. Kristen paid heed to this call and acknowledged Kayce. She reposted the IG story, with a subtle “👏” emoji to go with it. As if Kalen DeBoer didn’t have enough disdain from the outside, it’s now prominent voices inside the program that are seemingly adding to his peril.

Speaking of disdain, Lane Kiffin sure has expressed a lot of it over the past week. His pleas to the committee, which double as subtle jabs, over on X have been a wrinkle in the lead-up to Selection Sunday. Kiffin, like Deboer, is a component of Nick Saban’s statement. The only December festivities Ole Miss will be a part of are Christmas and Hanukkah because the playoffs remain out of reach.

Coach Saban would’ve, at least implicitly, hoped Bama made it through. The committee did lend them a controversial helping hand. After being ranked ahead of Ole Miss and South Carolina, all Alabama needed was an SMU win vs Clemson. Or perhaps even a blowout in the opposite direction. It seems like the footballing gods didn’t want to alleviate DeBoer of his misery, so they conjured the perfect script. A loss by the barest of margins meant SMU went through at Bama’s expense.

Kristen Saban’s involvement comes across as a pleasant shock after recent events

An interesting detail amidst these developments is Kristen Saban’s activity. Just last week, Kristen was caught in the middle of a social media storm. Alabama hosted rivals Auburn in Tuscaloosa for rivalry weekend. Kristen, alongside other members of her family, was in attendance. For reasons inconspicuous at the time, Bama fans took issue with Kristen’s outfit and demeanor at the game. 

They made their feelings known through the comments section of her IG post, posing from the sidelines. Kristen Saban is not averse to some trolling. But the taunting escalated beyond the limit. In the backwash of this, she announced, “For my own sanity, I am stepping away from sharing anything football/family related.”

It would appear she’s back from her self-imposed sabbatical. Reposting her father’s views on a controversial subject will not keep away the trolls either. Fans would hope Kristen doesn’t fall prey to any such episode going forward.