A few weeks ago, I asked Alabama coach Nick Saban what he thought about college football's recent conference realignment, which altered the sport's landscape like never before.

Much to my surprise, Saban said he believed there needed to be only 60 to 70 FBS teams in four or five conferences, and they needed to play each other and no one else.

Basically, Saban admitted he's a proponent of superconferences and programs that are financially able to compete in big-time football and to hell with everyone else.

After Monday's surprising announcements that Maryland and Rutgers are joining the Big Ten, and leaving behind the ACC and Big East, respectively, I'm beginning to wonder if Saban won't end up being right in the end.

And it might happen sooner than we believe.

After all, if a $50 million exit fee won't prevent one of the ACC's founding members from leaving, what else will?

Click to read the rest of Mark Schlabach's commentary on the Big Ten expansion.