James Caan -- Kinda, Sorta Rips 'The Program'

Put the women and children to bed ... 'cause it seems James Caan just took a shot at his 1993 college football classic, "The Program."

Caan -- who played Coach Sam Winters in the flick -- was leaving Boa Steakhouse in Hollywood last night when we asked if the movie was ahead of it's time.

Think about it ... sexual assault cover-ups, troubled Heisman Trophy candidates, corruption, PEDs, players taking money ...the list goes on.

But not only does Caan say it WASN'T ahead of it's time, he also said the flick was "vulgar."

Yeah ... isn't that why we loved it?