Nick Saban Says Alabama Working to Play 10 Power 5 Conference Games a Season

Alabama head coach Nick Saban would like for his team to play at least 10 Power 5 programs per season moving forward, according to a recent conversation with ESPN's Chris Low.

"I was in the NFL where we played all the games against NFL teams," Saban reasoned to Low on Friday. "But let's play at least 10 Power 5 games. It would be better for the players, better for the fans, and I think you wouldn't have to worry that if you lost a game that you wouldn't have as much of a chance to still be in [the College Football Playoff]. 

"They talk about strength of schedule now, but how do you really evaluate that?"

Strength of schedule has been a point of contention surrounding the Crimson Tide in recent years, and heading into the 2019-20 season, CBS Sports' Tom Fornelli ranked Alabama as having the weakest schedule in the SEC. 

However, according to Low, "Alabama leads all Power 5 schools with 17 games the past three years against teams that finished the season ranked in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll. The Crimson Tide are 14-3 in those games, including a 4-2 record in the College Football Playoff."

The last Power 5 team the Tide played was the Clemson Tigers, who overwhelmed them 44-16 in the College Football Playoff National Championship in January. Even so, Alabama linebacker Dylan Moses maintained that the Tide's best is better than the Tigers' at SEC media days last month.

College football fans will have to wait until the College Football Playoff to test Moses' theory presuming both programs make it. Alabama and Clemson aren't scheduled to meet during the regular season.

Alabama's only Power 5 opponent outside of the SEC will be Duke to open the season Aug. 31.