Now I know it's hard to read much into what a coach says. It's called coachspeak for a reason. But that's just a feeling I get when watching him in interviews. First he lectures the media for trying to paint this as a David vs. Goliath matchup. Then when asked about Ingram winning the Heisman, he kind of shrugs and says yeah, we're a good team, and he's one of the better players on our team, so sure... or something like that. Then last night he says Muschamp is one of his favorite people of all time. I think Saban is a little bit worried. I think he knows that Muschamp is going to have this Texas defense spitting nails and crapping thunder by next month. And he knows that his offense is solid but had the game of the season against Florida, and he's not sure they can do it again against another great defense, and one with a chip on its shoulder. I think he knows this game is going to be a dog fight, a defensive war between two great teams, and it could be anyone's game in the end. And we all know how important psychology is in football, and doubly so in college when we're talking about 18-22 year old kids. In the Bama/Florida game, Saban's team had the edge. They were hungry, and had been pointing to that game for the past 365 days. Florida meanwhile already won their championship, and wasn't as hungry. They ran into a buzz saw. The psychological edge is flipped in this game. Texas is the one who feels dissed. Everyone's picking Bama to win. I think Saban is worried about keeping his team focused through all the media love they are getting. And I think he'd rather the Heisman not be a distraction. And he knows how important having a good QB is. And Texas has a big edge there, which can be huge in a close game. McElroy can be really effective when playing with a lead and when his running game is dominating. But the question still remains, can he take his team down the field against a great defense at the end of a game to win it, if time is a factor and his running game is not working? Damn, I can't believe we have to wait another month for this game. I'm ready to get it on.
Absolutely. I don't know whether or not he's worried about Texas' actual team (though he should be), but I think he's definitely worried about his team's psyche. He saw first-hand last year how his team reacted after being told for a month by the mediots that they were going to whip Utah. He doesn't want to see the same thing happen again. Unfortunately for him, nothing he says or does can stop it. His players are going to watch ESPN, and it's all they're going to hear for the next month. Texas on the other hand, will hear for a month about how TCU and Cincy and Boise State deserve to go to this game ahead of Texas and how the Horns are inevitably going to get slaughtered. This team psychology is a powerful thing-- Pellini and Nebraska played on it strongly and it worked to their great advantage. Same thing for Alabama against Florida. But in this BCS MNC title game, the roles have flipped, and Texas is going benefit greatly from it. If Ingram wins the Heisman, it will only intensify the effects.
can he take his team down the field against a great defense at the end of a game to win it, if time is a factor and his running game is not working? __________________________________________________ see auburn game.
Saban isn't stupid. Of course he's worried, just as Mack is worried. Nick knows that Texas is a good team. And, regardless of what the media says, regardless of Bama's awesome performance against Florida and our lackluster performance against Nebraska, regardless of the SEC hype, anything can happen in the championship game. He only has to look to the 2006 Rose Bowl to know that upsets are possible, and he also has Texas' record in the Rose Bowl to think about. Bottom line is, because of (a) our near-laying-of-an-egg against Nebraska, and (b) the fact that undefeated Cincinnati, TCU and Boise State teams were clamoring for their shot, Alabama's players are going to be inundated by the media over the next month about how Texas doesn't belong in the title game, how they're no good, how the Big XII is weak, and so on. These are motivational killers, and Saban knows this.
The media is doing us a huge favor by focusing on the B12 championship as a measure of who we are. If Ingram wins the Heisman it will intensify. Bring it on. As long as the media feeds the message that Alabama is the far superior team, Saban has good reason to worry.
In a game like this I don't think any coach could be over-confident. It's not like your opponent is a scrub with a lot of obvious weaknesses. These are two championship-level teams. And, as mentioned above, Mack has a solid bowl game record -- he apparently knows how to get his teams ready to win in the postseason. This is an important factor, the experience of closing out the season with a win against a quality opponent.
Any coach would be worried for a game like this, except Pete Carroll, with the best team of all time-all he had to do was show up and shmooze with the celebrities and pick up the trophy...maybe he should have worried a little bit more.
So much talk - so much complex intuition and speculation and hand wringing and chest bumping. And that’s plenty fun and a great way to while away the next few weeks. But all that matters is what happens inside the Rose Bowl on January 7 after 5pm Pacific Time. Two very good teams with two outstanding coaches will face each other on the field, often having to fly by the seat of their experienced pants as the game progresses. The Horns will do what we have to do, and Alabama will do what it has to do, and there's nothing in the record or the strengths or weaknesses sufficient to determine the outcome. I've seen too much football to not know how true that is in an important game. If you want to go on stats and records and this and that, and bet the line, or wager our confidence and ability, have at it. I was once asked if I was betting on the Horns in a game, and answered, “What? Mere money?” Once the ball is hiked, I wager my heart – just as, with no more time to practice or plan, the Horns on the field wager theirs. And I will stand that factor up against anyone and any other team.
worried? yes. scared? no. You'd be a fool to not worry. And Mack would be a fool to not worry about Alabama.
oh, and Nick Saban is not some infalliable coaching genius either. It seems lately ESPN has crowned him that distinction, as well. He is an excellent coach, but come on. Utah smacked Bama around, putting up 21 points in the 1st quarter, in the Sugar Bowl last year.
Wow! I'm amazed by the brilliance of the armchair psychologists on this board. Nick Saban is a preparer, not a worrier. He makes others worry, like Chuck Norris, Tim Tebow and Mack Brown. You're probably right, McElroy can't lead his team down field and win an important game. He only did it against our biggest rival in the most hostile of stadiums with Ingram getting medical attention on the bench. And you're probably right. McElroy can't run his offence against a stout defense. He only shredded the #1 defense in the country less than a week ago. How soon we forget. Will Muschamp is one heck of a DC and I have no doubt he will have the Texas defense ready to play a good game. But let's not label them the "burnt orange steel curtain" just yet. Let's see how you do against a balanced offense (which another poster has already pointed out is exactly what the Crimson Tide has). I only hope your team is puffing themselves up with the same fluff I'm seeing on this thread. But I suspect both teams realize they have to prepare for the next few weeks and put together a game plan to win a hard-fought football game. I know that's Saban's philosophy. ROLL TIDE! Rember the Rose Bowl? We'll win then!
Welcome to the board, TideDom. Listen to Saban's comments after the matchup was announced, and it seems pretty obvious to me that he agrees with the original poster . . . that when a team hears for 31 days that they're the clear favorite, they may not play as well as if they heard for 31 days that they don't really have a chance. Do you think it helped Bama 11 months ago when they heard the exact same thing for a month -- that a team from a non-BCS league was going to get destroyed by a "real" defense from the SEC? I watched that game, and Bama got their *** whipped by a more focused and better prepared team. And don't tell me it's just because they didn't want to be there. Texas had an even more distracting and disappointing end to 2008 (losing a ******** beauty contest) than Bama, and we didn't let ourselves get blown out in the first quarter of our BCS bowl. I agree with the original poster (and with Saban): I think the media build-up lends itself to making Texas the more motivated squad. I think that's going to be even more true after Ingram wins the Heisman, which he will.
Saban is now in a no win situation. Everybody is saying that this is the all time mismatch, so if they win....so what. They were expected to win. But if they lose.........well, you know what I'm sayin'. HOOK 'EM, Texdoc
Why would Saban be worried? You worry when you're not prepared, and nobody does a better job of having their team prepared than Saban. For Christ's sake he just beat the ever living **** out of Florida, the old fashioned way, power football and great defense.
He believes he is playing a "South Carolina". He is worried that his team believes the same thing. They are all in for a shock. Aurburn and Tennessee were not flukes, and Bama will be the one who is exposed. Texas by 10+.
I don't think Saban is the type of coach who gets worried about an opponent. He always has his team ready to play.
The letdown from last year's SECCG was a big factor in the Sugar Bowl performance, along with the loss of Andre Smith. But if you want to equate that game with what's at stake this year, go right ahead. I know you all are trying to manufacture this notion that nobody is giving Texas a chance. But that is not the case. I know here in Alabama, the talk is about how we have never beat Texas and how great it would be for this team to be the first and bring home the title as a result. So the master motivator Saban has his motivation and the players will have their focus. That equals preparation. Sorry. As much as you Horns wish it wasn't the case, you will just have to prepare yourself instead of hoping for a letdown with the other team while inflating your own team's abilities. Just bring it and we will do the same!
For a month the media, his fans, their friends/family will be telling them a few different things: You are going to blow them out, they are lucky to be here, they wouldn't be the 3rd best team in the SEC, they are overrated, they haven't faced a balanced offense like this, they haven't faced a defense as physical and fast as this, their OL cannot do anything, they can't run the ball, they are soft, you are going to dominate, its going to be a name your score game, TCU/Cincy are better, etc, etc. Our guys will be hearing all this negative stuff about them and positive stuff about bama and how they have no chance/shouldn't be there/lucky/overrated,etc. During the break its not like the coach can control what people say to his players or what the media writes/says about the game. He can try to keep them focsued but all the love they'll get and negativity we'll get can't help. Our guys can't be happy hearing all this stuff about them. Thomas seemed already sick of hearing it and its only been 5 days. Imagine just under 30 more days of this. Another thing to consider is that a lot of the bama players talked about beating Florida like it was the NC game, at least thats what it seemed like. EVERYTHING they had done since last year's SEC title game has been in order to beat Florida. I have no doubt that they were putting things in almost every week for Florida. I think the month off lessens the chance of a let-down but seemed somewhat odd that all the talk was how they worked for an entire year to beat Florida, not necessarily to get to win the national title. Probably reading into it too much tho.
They focused on FLA because, like last year revealed, we couldn't obtain our goals without beating the gators. But make no mistake about it -- the NC is THE GOAL. Don't bank on a letdown. Again, all Horns fans coaches and players would be best suited to focus on preparing themselves for greatness instead of hoping your opponent isn't doing the same. If the SECCG showed us anything, it's that the Crimson Tide can be pretty darned focused on their goal and prepared when given the time. Remember the Rose Bowl? We'll win then! Roll Tide!
