Alabama Coach Nick Saban thinks No. 5 Georgia is a better team than No. 4 Oklahoma – at least he thought that before the Sooners won the Big 12 Championship and were schedule to play the Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoffs semi-finals.

“Well, I do think they’re one of the top four teams in the country but I didn’t think they were going to get in the playoff with two losses,” said last week about Georgia. “So I voted the teams that I thought had the best chance to get in, but I do think after playing Georgia they were one of the best four teams in the country.

“What this basically indicates is the SEC Championship game was a playoff game. You know, the No. 1 and No. 4 team in the country played, and it was a heck of a game, and they played a great game, and they have a great team, and I think they’re one of the best four teams in the country, and that’s no disrespect to any of the people (No. 2 Clemson, No. 3 Notre Dame and No. 4 OU) that are here, but I didn’t think they had a chance to get in with two losses.”

Saban was asked by Gina Lehe with the College Football Playoffs if that means the four best teams in the nation are not in the playoffs?

“I’m not saying that. I’m just saying — I’m saying what I said, and I’m not changing what I said,” Saban said. “When we played Georgia, I thought they were one of the best four teams in the country. That doesn’t mean that they’re any better than the teams that are here, and I voted for the four teams that are here. Is that correct? Okay.”

Oklahoma (12-1) has been rated as a 14-point underdog to Alabama (13-0).

Even though Saban once rated Georgia above OU, he was careful to heap praise on the Sooners.

“I think that Oklahoma is a team that certainly knows how to win,” Saban said. “They’ve had some great games this year, high-scoring games where their defense has come through when they’ve needed to, but I do think this is one of the most dynamic teams that I’ve seen for a long, long time in terms of the way they play offense.

“I think Lincoln does a great job with their players. They’ve got some really explosive players. The quarterback is an explosive player. They can run the ball. They have great balance. I don’t know that there’s one particular thing, other than I think their players know how to win, and they’ve won a lot of close games, and they’ve come from behind in games.

“This is a team that is as explosive as any that I’ve ever seen, and it’s not — I mean, it’s designed that way. It’s not like — and I think it’s very difficult to stop a team like that. And I think that Coach Riley does a great job, and their players believe in it and execute it extremely well.”

OU coach Lincoln Riley was heavy in his complimenting Saban.

“They’ve had an historic run with one of the greatest coaches of all time here in Coach Saban,” Riley said. “We couldn’t possibly have any more respect for them, the way they play, and it’ll certainly be a great challenge but one that we’re very much looking forward to.”

OU is seen to have the best offense in the nation but the worst defense in the playoff.

“We certainly have a tremendous challenge in playing Coach Riley and the Oklahoma Sooners, who have a great tradition and a great program, and certainly one of the most prolific offensive teams that I’ve seen in recent times, and their defense has certainly made a lot of plays in critical times in the games that have helped them win some close ones,” Saban said.

Riley said Alabama’s offense improved this season.

“(It’s) tough to narrow it down to one when you start to study Alabama and all they do well,” Riley said. “The thing I’ve seen from afar, and I don’t want to act like an I’m expert on their program, I’m not in those walls day-to-day, but you see the unselfishness in that program. The most obvious notable example is quarterback Jalen Hurts because we need more guys like him. So really impressed with how their whole program managed great players at different positions.

“And then as a team the obvious thing would be to say that Alabama has certainly been more explosive offensively than they’ve been in a while, and they’ve been good offensively, no question. But this group has been different, and they’re certainly fantastic defensively like they’ve been forever. A great challenge, but could not be more impressed with Jalen Hurts, how he handled that just from afar. Big fan of that kid and how that entire situation was managed.”

OU plays Alabama in the Orange Bowl at 7 p.m. on December 29 on ESPN. The winner will play the winner of the Clemson/Notre Dame game on January 7 in Santa Clara, California.