Throwing shade at a university who ran the table and beat the best team in the SEC seems petty. Calling them out for "self-proclaimed" titles is downright hypocritical considering half your school's titles are self proclaimed. Danny Kanell has a track record of poking the SEC.

So, it should come as no big surprise that shortly after Alabama coach Nick Saban reacted to Central Florida's self-proclaimed national championship, the football analyst took a shot at the Crimson Tide.

Kanell, a SiriusXM analyst, said Wednesday the Tide was "gifted" an invitation to the CFP playoffs.

"Not sure how you can say you "earned" a national title when you didn't win your conference and were GIFTED an invitation to the CFB Invitational," Kanell said. "But yes...congrats on being the best of those invited four teams. #rolldamntide

"Throwing shade at a university who ran the table and beat the best team in the SEC seems petty. Calling them out for "self-proclaimed" titles is downright hypocritical considering half your school's titles are self proclaimed."

Not sure how you can say you "earned" a national title when you didn't win your conference and were GIFTED an invitation to the CFB Invitational. But yes...congrats on being the best of those invited four teams. #rolldamntide — Danny Kanell (@dannykanell) May 16, 2018

Throwing shade at a university who ran the table and beat the best team in the SEC seems petty. Calling them out for "self-proclaimed" titles is downright hypocritical considering half your school's titles are self proclaimed. — Danny Kanell (@dannykanell) May 16, 2018

"If you honor and respect the system that we have, (despite) some of the imperfections that you understand that the system has, then you wouldn't do something out of respect for the system that we have," Saban said. "I guess anybody has the prerogative to claim anything. But self-proclaimed is not the same as actually earning it. And there's probably a significant number of people who don't respect people who make self-proclaimed sort of accolades for themselves."

Central Florida, who beat Auburn in the Peach Bowl to finish 14-0, ended the season undefeated but missed the CFP final four.

Alabama, which finished 13-1, didn't make the SEC Championship Game, but beat SEC champ Georgia for the national title.

The UCF debate has been a constant this offseason.

It all started in January after the Knights' ended their season with a 34-27 win over Auburn in the Peach Bowl.

Central Florida athletic director Danny White proclaimed his team national champs. Later in the month, the Knights hung a championship banner at the practice facility.

And, of course, the Florida House unanimously passed a bill that approved a "UCF National Champions" license plate.

Kanell was not happy when it was announced that both Alabama and Georgia made the CFP.

"Get ready for SEC overload," Kanell said in January. "It will be an exceptional marketing job to take your eyes off an awful year. Losing record in bowls. Teams 4-14 were average to bad. And the best team didn't even get a chance at title. And lost to UCF."

Mark Heim is a sports reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim.