Comedian and Notre Dame fan Shane Gillis was the guest picker for ESPN College game day before the first game of the 2024 College Football Playoff between the Fighting Irish and Indiana.

During his appearance on the show, Gillis threw shade at former Alabama coach Nick Saban by accusing him that schools in Saban and SEC used to pay their players to sign top recruits out of high school before the Using a student athlete’s name, image, etc. Likeness became legal in the NCAA.

“Now that everyone can pay their players, Notre Dame has a chance,” Gillis continued College game day. “Not just the SEC and Coach Saban.”

Gillis sarcastically clarified shortly afterwards that his comments were just a joke. “I was just joking. I don’t think the SEC ever paid the players.”

Gillis also made a joke about Saban’s outfit, referring to the legendary head coach as “Alabama Jones.”

Gillis hopes the Fighting Irish win their first national championship since 1988. Notre Dame is the No. 5 seed in the first edition of the 12-team CFP and will face Indiana in the first round.

Despite being a historically successful program, Notre Dame has not experienced the recent dominance that Saban enjoyed at Alabama before his retirement. As Alabama’s head coach, Saban led the Crimson Tide to six national championship victories. He had a 201-29 record as Alabama’s head coach, most recently defeating Notre Dame in the 2021 Rose Bowl.