Former Auburn football star claims Nick Saban is more likeable since leaving Alabama

Former Auburn football star Anthony Schwartz believes Nick Saban is a more likeable figure since retiring from his longtime head coaching post for the Alabama Crimson Tide -- sharing the opinion on Twitter in response to Saban once again claiming Hugh Freeze's Tigers will be one of the SEC's most improved teams on the September 7 edition of College GameDay.

"Idk about yall but Saban has been a lot more likable since he stopped coaching that team up north," Schwartz wrote.

Saban was perhaps sharing his version of rat position with Freeze, who said that he should have four more wins against the former Alabama coach in his career. Then again, he did predict Georgia Tech being a player in the ACC before sneaking past FSU on a game-winning field goal in Week 0. BC also beat FSU, though, so maybe it's best to hold off on thinking Saban is a soothsayer just yet.

Either way, Saban isn't trying to troll Auburn and tantalize Tiger fans as a College GameDay analyst. He's sticking to the Xs and Os, ignoring the storylines, and approaching the craft with class.

He has been likeable in his new post. But let's not forget that his blood is still Crimson.

Remember Auburn football fans, Nick Saban is still on Alabama's payroll

Saban is making $500,000.04 to keep an office at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Call it residuals for what he did for the program over his 17 years in Tuscaloosa or underpaying him for still being an influence on the recruiting trail on behalf of Kalen DeBoer and his mostly rebuilt coaching staff.

Whatever you want to call it, you have to call it employment at the University of Alabama for Saban.

Keep that in mind when he's talking about Auburn in any capacity. So far, he's playing nice. But does that change when the stakes get higher?