After No. 5 Alabama rolled to a 45–20 Sugar Bowl victory over No. 9 Kansas State in which several key players elected to participate instead of voluntarily sit out or transfer, Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban appeared to take a veiled shot after the game at those who didn’t play.
“I think the guys who are here today, the team who’s here today, is a great representative of the University of Alabama,” Saban said at the podium as he accepted the Sugar Bowl trophy.
Much like other schools in the transfer portal era, the Crimson Tide had several players enter the transfer portal after the team’s regular season finale.
What separated Alabama from other schools that participated in non-playoff bowl games was that two star players who are expected to be high draft picks—quarterback Bryce Young and linebacker Will Anderson—chose to play in the bowl game on Saturday instead of sitting out to preserve their health.
Saban has stated in the past that he believes the best way for players to make a case for themselves with their draft stock is to actually play in football games.
