USF has been receiving more attention on a national level than ever before.

The football team is ranked No. 6 in the nation and most media members have had nothing but positive things to say about the Bulls. Then, on Tuesday, University of Alabama head coach Nick Saban decided to open his mouth.

Saban is not a coach known for saying the brightest things. In fact, Saban spent the last month of his NFL career

proclaiming he was happy coaching the Miami Dolphins. However, just days after the Dolphins’ season ended last year, Saban found a home with the Crimson Tide. Now, Saban is running his mouth again – this time, he’s bashing the USF football team.

In Tuesday’s edition of the Birmingham News, Saban basically said USF has so many talented players because the school has low academic requirements. Saban went so far as to say that “there are six guys starting on South Florida’s defense who probably could have gone to Florida or Florida State, but Florida and Florida State couldn’t take them.”

Saban also went on to say, in a nutshell, that Alabama has much higher standards than USF. He also pointed out that if Alabama had such “relaxed academic standards,” the Crimson Tide would be able to land players that are of the same caliber as the Bulls. As I read Saban’s comments, I realized he must have been a tad jealous. After all, Saban’s team did just fall out of the Top 25 in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls.

Saban may also be bent out of shape about two former Alabama recruits now flourishing under coach Jim Leavitt and his coaching staff. Mike Ford, who leads the Bulls with 212 yards and four rushing touchdowns, and Jamar Taylor, who has 91 rushing yards and two touchdowns, were both recruited by the University of Alabama.

As for the defense, Saban may be disappointed about his team’s performance up to this point in the season. As of now, the Crimson Tide are 3-2 and Alabama is getting burned on defense. The defensive genius that is Nick Saban has been non-existent this season.

Alabama has allowed 20.2 points per game while allowing 330.8 yards per game and 12 total touchdowns.

It looks like Saban could use some players from USF. The Bulls defense is allowing 14.8 points per game and only 287.4 yards per game, with five total touchdowns over their first four games. Saban, a coach who has been called a defensive mastermind, just can’t seem to find a way to stop anybody.

Leavitt did see Saban’s comments. He responded following USF’s weekly media luncheon.

“For a guy to make a statement like that is … it’s not right,” Leavitt said. “It’s a knock on our program. We’ve done what we’ve done because we work extremely hard.”

Obviously Saban needs to fix some of his own problems before he criticizes a team, a coach and a University. By Saban attacking USF, he not only looks ignorant – which he has done many, many times before- but he looks as if he’s making a desperate attempt to keep eyes off his team’s problems.