Nick Saban’s daughter calls out Ohio State ahead of Championship Game | Yahoo Sports College Podcast
Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wetzel and Pete Thamel, and Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde discuss Kristen Saban Satos’ tweet saying that Ohio State is faking COVID cases to postpone their game against Alabama so QB Justin Fields can get fully healthy.
Video Transcript
[YAHOO SPORTS INTRO]
DAN WETZEL: We have a COVID situation at Ohio State. There was a report out of AL.com that there were at least discussions about postponing Monday's game. Buckeyes have come back and, really, doubled down and that's not what we're looking to do here, but they're just saying they're planning to play. There's one newsworthy-- exciting for our purposes-- story to come out of this, and that is the reaction of Nick Saban's daughter, Kristen, a 2013 graduate of Alabama herself, who immediately seized on the initial report that there were these discussions, and went all in, baby. Just all in.
A tweet from the daughter of Mr. Rat Poison himself.
"If you're not confident to play, then say it." And those are in capitals, so she means to say it harder. "I call BS on the COVID cases. They're just worried about their QB"-- the ribs of Justin Fields-- "and want him to have more time to heal. You didn't see us postpone the rest of the season and wait for Jaylen Waddle." And then says "Bye" in caps, an angry bye. I think caps signify anger.
So in one fell swoop, this tweet accuses Ohio State of lying--
PAT FORDE: Yes.
DAN WETZEL: Of being cowards, and basically of cheating.
PAT FORDE: Yeah.
DAN WETZEL: It was tweeted, it was deleted quicker than Devonta Smith through the open field.
PAT FORDE: [LAUGHING]
DAN WETZEL: I cannot even imagine how quickly Nick called. I mean, this is fantastic. She later came back and said it was uncalled for, hurtful, a huge mistake, and she's ashamed and embarrassed. We don't care.
PAT FORDE: No.
DAN WETZEL: We don't care, too late for our purposes. Can't take it back.
PETE THAMEL: How about this? Do we really think Justin Fields is that injured? So I was on one of the conference calls this week, he obviously got crushed in the ribs with this violent hit. He also threw four touchdown passes after that. Again, was he hobbled? Yes. Did he look-- but like, I don't know. Certainly, it is to be asked about, but I'm not sitting here thinking this is going to be this huge swaying thing in this game.
PAT FORDE: First off, yes, thank you to Kristen for helping just absolutely fan the flames of pregame smack talk, and thank you to Cardale Jones, the former Ohio State quarterback, who immediately seized upon her tweet with a great one of his own, firing back at her saying, oh, so you want to go against our backups again? How'd that work out the last time? Cardale was the backup quarterback, the third-stringer who led them to a 42-35 upset victory in the 2014 Playoff Semifinals. So that was wonderful, that repartee there.
Kristen Saban has a lot to say on Twitter, and I can't blame her for that. I often do too, and sometimes you can talk yourself into trouble, and she has on many occasions. I just, I could picture Saban-- Saban is obviously in the tunnel, as he always is, but like dispatching some graduate assistant. "Go, rip the phone from my daughter's hands and throw it away. Throw it in the Warrior River right outside of Tuscaloosa, and then we are cutting off her cell service, and she cannot get another one." Because she is causing problems where he doesn't need any problems to be caused.
It is, it's-- for a guy who is "don't give them anything, and keep your mind on the task at hand, shut up, button down, eyes forward, head down", man, she is not quite on the same playbook as her father. God bless her.
DAN WETZEL: Yeah, I just, I can only imagine that reaction of Nick Saban. Like "wait, what? What happ-- who said it?" Oh my God. But anyway, we'll see. I'm sure, right, they'll make that available, if necessary. I'm sure the guys heard it. That was a full on assault. It was like you're cheating, lying--
PAT FORDE: And you're chicken.
DAN WETZEL: --scared to play us, chicken, everything.
[MUSIC OUTRO]
