Steve Spurrier thinks this year's Alabama team could beat some NFL teams. (Jeremy Brevard-US PRESSWIRE)
South Carolina Gamecocks head football coach Steve Spurrier told ESPN radio Wednesday that he feels Alabama could compete against some professional teams.
“Alabama, gosh, they look like they could beat a couple of those NFL teams that I’ve watched on Sundays,” Spurrier told “The Dan Patrick Show” on Wednesday. “I think a lot of the oddsmakers out there that usually know what’s going on, I’d guess Alabama would be favored by a little bit.”
Alabama is on a quest to win its third national title in five seasons under former Miami Dolphins coach Nick Saban. The Crimson Tide produced four first-round NFL picks from last year’s national championship team.
Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, who also spent time as a college coach, disagreed with Spurrier’s claim.
“I was confronted with that at times [at USC] and the falsehood is to think that that could ever take place,” Carroll said to reporters at his Wednesday weekly news conference. “It ain’t even close. Alabama’s got a great team and Nick is a fantastic coach, but when you match up the interior lines against regular NFL teams on either side of the ball, it wouldn’t even be close.”
