Nick Saban calls out Michigan coach for "paying players"

Maybe, just maybe Notre Dame superfan Shane Gillis rubbed off on revered former Alabama coach Nick Saban when the two shared their awkward moments at Notre Dame Stadium as prelude to the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff last December.

After all, Saban absolutely eviscerated Michigan interim head coach Biff Poggi - a long-time Saban friend - Saturday morning on ESPN's College GameDay.

Poggi has returned to the Michigan staff after a disastrous stint atop the Charlotte football program that ended late last season when Poggi was fired by the 49ers.

Now, he's about to coach his second game as the Head Michigan Man because full-time head coach Sherrone Moore is yet again suspended by the NCAA. This is Moore's final scheduled suspension for the 2025 season; he also will be barred by the NCAA for one game in 2026.

"I gotta ask him: When you were at Saint Frances (Academy), I never saw you coach a down," Saban said, drawing audible laughter from fellow GameDay staffers Kirk Herbstreit and Pat McAfee. "You were the owner; you were (Dallas Cowboys owner) Jerry Jones. You paid the players and all that, you did the payroll. 

"Are you using the same philosophy at Michigan?"

Poggi was quick with the type of retort that 10 months ago had Saban staring daggers through Gillis on the GameDay set. 

"Yeah," Poggi deadpanned, "and I learned all that from you. 

"So ... "

Poggi had earlier zinged Saban, the seven-time national champion-coach, for having not upheld an offer to sell Poggi a Ferrari Superfast 812 from Saban's branded Ferrari dealership.

"Well, look, I mean I know everyone genuflects to the greatest college football coach ever, but not me," said Poggi, who saw his temporary coaching stint atop Michigan launched with an 63-3 win against Central Michigan last Saturday. "I will tell you that we've been friends a long time. I don't know, he called me five or six years ago. Five or six years ago, and he said, 'Hey, guess what? I've been chosen for a Ferrari dealership.' 

"I said congratulations. Let me be the first guy to buy a car from you, and I'll buy the coolest car they make, the 812 Superfast. 'Great, perfect. I'll have it all set up.' I will have a beard down to my knees before I see that (car). He's driving it.

Saban was quick with his own reply, before he then made his Poggi-Jones comparison. 

"Here was the problem: When we got right down to the transaction, you had alligator arms," Saban said. "You could not reach into your pocket; you could not get in the pocket."

Added Poggi, "You should ask the Rolls dealer I just bought my car from, if I have that problem."

While Poggi did not specify which Rolls-Royce he just purchased, it's worth noting that the Ferrari Superfast 812 has a price tag that ranges from $377,000 to $600,000.

On the field Saturday, Poggi's Wolverines battle Big Ten Conference foe Nebraska in a nationally televised mid-afternoon clash.