Nick Saban jokingly explains why he doesn’t trust former Tide S Caleb Downs

Nick Saban and the College GameDay crew set up shop in Columbus, Ohio this weekend ahead of No. 5 Indiana against No. 2 Ohio State. The Buckeyes look to dispatch the undefeated Hoosiers, who are looking to ink a signature win on their College Football Playoff resume.

Ohio State’s defense is fantastic, in part because of former Alabama safety Caleb Downs, who transferred from the Tide after Saban stepped down as head coach at the end of last season.

Downs is a great football player and, according to Saban, a high-character individual. However, his former coach also (jokingly) admitted that he’s not too sure he can trust Downs.

Saban told the GameDay crew that when he would meet with players he had a swear jar that he had to contribute $5 towards if he cussed. Downs was the holder of the cash – which reached $500 by Saban’s measure – and Saban still has no idea what happened to the jar by the end of the season.

Check out Saban’s comments on Downs below:

Nick Saban on @CollegeGameDay about Caleb Downs, jokingly: “I just don’t know if I can trust him. We had a rule last year because I didn’t want to cuss in the meetings — I was trying to be this ‘transformational’ leader and set a good example — so every time I cussed in a…

— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) November 23, 2024

We should be in for a good one over in the B1G at Noon. Indiana and Ohio State have capable offensive units, but the Buckeyes crowd should provide an atmosphere that Indiana simply has not faced this season.

Let’s see if the Hoosiers are for real.