Shannon Sharpe: Savannah State in tough spot

"Taking the kind of shellacking they have, I wish they were getting $1 million dollars a game," Sharpe said. "But because of the financial situation they're in, the football team has to take this type of embarrassment for the other athletic programs to survive."

The school is collecting paychecks totaling $860,000, which will go a long way toward helping the athletic program meet its total budget of $5.1 million.

The 44-year-old Sharpe was a Division II All-American while playing at then-Savannah State College in 1989 before his stellar NFL career with the Baltimore Ravens and Denver Broncos. He also played basketball and was a triple jumper at Savannah State.

He said he hasn't reached out to coaches or players at his alma mater.

"Don't know what I can say to them," Sharpe said. "They've moved up to Division I, so they've got to get Division I talent. Talent is what wins games. Nick Saban is a great coach, there's no disputing that, but there's a reason five or six of his players go to the NFL each year."

Savannah State has a long way to go to get that kind of talent; it's one of the worst teams in the Football Championship Subdivision. The Wildcats are 4-72 against teams from that lower-level division. They've lost eight of their last 12 games by at least 30 points and have scored just one touchdown in their last six games.