College football season hits a quick full boil on Saturday. Rumors that one of the greatest college football coaches of all time (and a mediocre NFL head coach) will return at some point continue to simmer.

Nick Saban addressed the offseason chatter during a Friday appearance on ESPN with Pat McAfee.

“That came out of nowhere,” Saban said. “I mean, Miss Terry said, ‘Where did that come from?’ I mean, she wouldn’t let me do it, number one. I’d never thought about doing it, number two. And I don’t know how somebody could just come up with this out of thin air.”

He still hasn’t given a clear and unequivocal “no.” Along the lines of, you know, “I’m not going to be the Alabama coach.”

Remember the quote that Saban gave to Fox News, just last month, after he was pressed multiple different times about possibly coaching again: “There is no opportunity that I know of right now that would enhance me to go back to coaching.”

That was not a “no way, no how.”

Finally, why is he surprised that people are speculating about his potential return to coaching? His history of mystery and periodic hopscotching gives people reason to wonder what he’s really up to.

And the implication that he could become aware of an “opportunity . . . that would enhance me to go back to coaching” serves only to entrance those who like the idea of Saban finding another college program where he can stack the deck with enough players to help him win another championship.