Nick Saban Reflects on Julian Sain’s Time at Alabama

Nick Saban has certainly made a name for himself in college football, with more successes than failures during his seven championship appearances. Recently, though, he took a moment to reflect on a decision he now views as a mistake regarding Julian Sain, the current quarterback for Ohio State. In a recent episode of ESPN’s “College GameDay,” Saban expressed regret for not giving Sain more opportunities during his time at Alabama.

Saban noted, “I think the one thing about Julian Sain is he was at Alabama. And the coaches at Alabama let him play on the scout team for a year. How stupid—” His self-critique came as College GameDay visited Columbus for Ohio State’s game against rival Penn State.

Sain joined Alabama early but transferred to Ohio State shortly after Saban announced his retirement in January 2024. During his time as a Buckeye, he had a rocky start, throwing only 12 passes in 2024, but this season proved fruitful. Sain, now a redshirt freshman, has already thrown for 1,872 yards and 19 touchdowns in just eight games.

Ohio State recently improved its record to 8-0 after a convincing 34-14 victory over Penn State, extending the Nittany Lions’ losing streak to five games.

Before Sain took over as the starter, Will Howard was the quarterback who led Ohio State to last season’s College Football Playoff national championship; Howard was later picked up by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Ohio State is set to face Purdue next week.