One of the low-key funniest parts of watching the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday was imagining Justin Thomas and friends huddled together in Hawaii agonizing over every play. Thomas, who attended Alabama, tweeted during most of the game, and it was terrific. 

He talked trash to Danny Kanell and Skip Bayless, noted that he was never nervous (right) and sent this right after Saban touched off his sixth national championship in stunning fashion with a true freshman playing quarterback. 

On Tuesday, Thomas shared that he called Saban in the aftermath to leave him a congratulatory message. Surprisingly, Saban answered.

"I told a lot of people this week I'm feeling the vibe from [Alabama quarterback] on Honolulu," said Thomas of Alabama's freshman savior from the islands. "I guess he's from only a couple miles from here. It was unbelievable. 

"I called Coach Saban to leave him a voicemail yesterday, and he actually answered, which I couldn't believe. So I was actually shocked to get to talk to him. I just told him, 'Unbelievable.' He's a legend. To make that decision [to insert a true freshman at halftime] on the biggest stage where, if it doesn't work out, the criticism he's going to get from that, not only from everybody else, but from the university, from the players. There's a reason he's ... I mean, after that, probably the best college football coach of all time."

He probably is. And he's somebody Thomas has spent some time with in the past with a different trophy.