THE READ OPTION: Saban ‘not sorry’ after new signee’s 3rd arrest

Alabama stands firm: Nick Saban met the media for the first time since defensive tackle Jonathan Taylor was arrested for domestic violence and dismissed from the team. Taylor had already been dismissed from Georgia after charges of domestic violence and attempting to cash checks multiple times.

Saban said that he was “not sorry” for recruiting Taylor, though he is sorry about the results.

I’m not sorry for giving him an opportunity. I’m sorry for the way things worked out. I’m not apologizing for the opportunity that we gave him. I wanted to try to help the guy make it work. It didn’t work. So we’re sorry that it didn’t work, and we’re sorry there was an incident, and we’re sorry for the people that were involved in the incident. But we’re not apologizing for what we did, and we’re going to continue to create opportunities for people in the future, and we’ll very, very closely evaluate anyone’s character that we allow in the program.

He also said he still thinks Taylor is a good person.

Saban’s decision was controversial even before the light apology. Holly Anderson:

Alabama’s apparently specific need for Taylor’s presence on the Crimson Tide was baffling to begin with. They weren’t the only team after him, but they snagged him, and why they even wanted to bother with him has been the subject of much curiosity. If some school with a bit more of an up-and-coming profile, a team with far more obvious needs, had signed Taylor ... wouldn’t this make a lot more sense? It’s still entirely unacceptable, of course — but at least there’d be a clearer train of thought to follow.

Yep, Indiana sports might matter that much. A former NCAA exec on why opposition from the Big Ten and NCAA toward the state’s new law matter.

Can players advocate AdvoCare? Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller created a bit of a stir when he posted an Instagram picture that appeared to be an endorsement for a supplement. Urban Meyer says no big deal, but our Steven Godfrey got the opinion of Texas A&M’s compliance office to see how it would interpret the rule.

I’ve previously dealt with student-athlete self-employment in the context of nutritional supplement sales as an independent contractor/distributor. It’s not common, but neither is it uncommon.

More bowl games! There could be two more bowls next season, as ESPN’s Brett McMurphy reports both Tuscon and Little Rock have applied. This would bring the college football season to 42 total bowl games. This is a good thing, because it’s good to have more football games, for both fans and athletes.

Team of the day: Next up in Bill C’s season preview is Western Kentucky, which has shown an un-UAB-like commitment to football since moving up to FBS and could win Conference USA this year.

CROOTIN’:

Rivalry trollin’: Ohio State’s veterinary school has lots of dogs and also has some fire hydrants. Sometimes, dogs like to pee on fire hydrants. So ...

SAMAJE PERINE, DO EVERYTHING! Oklahoma’s running backs, already yet to work the suspended Joe Mixon back into the rotation and dealing with injury, now lose Keith Ford to suspension.

QB battle in South Bend: Spring practice is underway at Notre Dame, and the battle between Everett Golson and Malik Zaire is very close.

The opinions on the quarterback battle are ranging from a few “it’s pretty close” statements to the more popular “Golson is the clear leader.”

Nearly all reports state Golson’s passing abilities continue to excel over Zaire’s, as the latter struggles with consistency and accuracy, while the former has been very sharp and accurate.