Miami and Mario Cristobal subtly get called out by Nick Saban on College GameDay

Miami fans saw ESPN once again spotlight the Hurricanes' 2023 loss to Georgia Tech — the end-game sequence when Miami, leading with under a minute left, ran the ball instead of kneeling, fumbled, and watched the Yellow Jackets win on a 44-yard strike with two seconds remaining.

What adds a fresh layer in 2025 is the presence of Nick Saban on ESPN’s College GameDay. The seven-time national champion joined the network as an analyst in February 2024, and his weekly film-room style breakdowns have become a recurring feature of the show. When ESPN revisits pivotal situational moments from recent seasons, Saban remains blunt with his criticism.

The Miami-Georgia Tech ending remains one of the most second-guessed decisions of the Mario Cristobal era. With a 20-17 lead and the ability to kneel out the clock, Miami elected to hand off; Don Chaney Jr. lost the ball, Georgia Tech recovered, and quarterback Haynes King hit Christian Leary behind the defense for the go-ahead touchdown. It has since become a major stain on an otherwise positive tenure as Miami's head coach for Cristobal.

Cristobal, to his credit though, owned the mistake almost immediately. And at this point, all parties would like to move on. That's why you see so many fans angry over the coverage from GameDay. But, if you have tuned into the show this season, Saban has critqued Cristobal a fair amount. It's not something that is out of hate, but instead he has offered deep dives into his time at Miami, including some of the decisions from this year.

Regardless, the renewed attention is tough to hear for Hurricanes fans after the second loss in three games. If the November struggles continue for Cristobal and company, the criticism from Saban on GameDay will be just a drop in the bucket.