3 Crushing Nick Saban Mistakes That Cost Alabama a Shot at College Football Playoff

For the first time since its inception in 2014, Alabama will not be in the College Football Playoff following this campaign. At 10-2 on the year, the Crimson Tide don't boast the resume necessary to squeak into the fourth seed in the playoff, so Nick Saban's side will be on the outside looking in, felled by the loss of Dylan Moses before the campaign even started.

It's odd to envision an Alabama-less CFP, but the team faltered in 2019, and ultimately doesn't deserve a title shot. Nick Saban himself is responsible for a few glaring mistakes on the year, and you can certainly make an argument that had these three errors not occurred, the Tide may still be in the running for the CFP.

3. Leaving Tua in Too Long vs Miss State

Look, the first half may seem a bit early to pull a quarterback, but when his health has already been a concern and you hold a 35-7 lead, it's safe to say your QB has done his job. Well, rather than replace Tagovailoa with Mac Jones ahead of the final drive of the first half, Saban deployed Tua once more. As we all know, this resulted in a devastating hip injury which ended the quarterback's season. Had Tua been under center in the Iron Bowl, the outcome may have been vastly different, considering the Tigers scored on two poorly-executed pick-sixes .

2. 12 Men on the Field at End of Iron Bowl

This one will take some time to get over. During a critical final play against Auburn, in which the Tigers lined their punter up as a wide receiver to confuse the Tide, Alabama was flagged for having 12 men on the field, blown away by the formation. The Tide tried to quickly make a substitution, but were flagged in the process, something which Saban deemed unfair. Auburn was granted a first down and were able to run out the clock, rather than Alabama getting one last shot in the game. This coaching blunder didn't lose Bama the game, but it prevented them from getting one last chance to leave with a win.

1. Multiple Errors Leading to 20-Point First Half Deficit vs LSU

Even Saban himself admitted he screwed up repeatedly during this one. A late throw in the first half from Tua Tagovailoa was intercepted and effectively resulted in the Tigers getting outstanding field position due to an unnecessary roughness call. LSU was already up 13 at the time, but Saban's risk allowed the Tigers to add another seven points to the scoreboard. The Tide head coach admitted after the game he should have run the ball in that situation. LSU scored 14 points while taking just 20 seconds off the game clock to end the first half, and it's all because Saban tried to do too much offensively against a fierce defense.