Nick Saban's nobility: campaigning for nine-game SEC schedule

Fans seek autographs from Alabama coach Nick Saban during SEC Media Days last week. (AP Photo)For the Sunday Oklahoman, I wrote about the College Football Playoff, which you can read here, and I made a passing reference to Nick Saban wanting the SEC to expand its conference schedule from eight games to at least nine.

I think it’s an interesting stance from Saban, who virtually is assured of getting Alabama into the four-team playoff every year, so long as the Crimson Tide doesn’t collapse.

The SEC plays a 6-1-1 format – six games against the other teams in the division, a crossover game against an annual foe (Alabama-Tennessee, Auburn-Georgia, etc.) and a crossover game against a rotating…