One of the most recognizable brands in college football has an identity crisis on its hands. That seems to be the vibe coming from head coach Nick Saban, who is already dropping a reality check on his program following a second straight postseason ending with a loss and a spring that lacked the kind of development Saban would have preferred to see.
“We need to get our mojo back ... we need into get our identity back,” Saban said Thursday to a group of media on a caravan tour stop in Huntsville, Alabama (via The Atlanta Journal-Constitution).
He’s not wrong. Alabama is not exactly falling off the surface of the college football world, but more is expected from Alabama, its fans and its coaches. An SEC championship is nice, as is a victory over Auburn, but Alabama is thinking about national championships. It has been a whole three years since Alabama’s last title. It is quite a drought for Tuscaloosa.
“We used to be a team nobody wanted to play,” he explained. “We’ve had a few distractions with the last couple years that I think have affected how we’ve finished the season.”
Alabama is still a really good football team, but the intimidation factor has been diminished in recent seasons for a variety of reasons. First, the Crimson Tide have become vulnerable in some areas on defense, and teams excelling in offense have taken note of that. But the bar is set incredibly high at Alabama, rightfully so given a handful of national titles in recent seasons.
Saban has a way of giving his team a reality check, and it appears now is one of those times. Alabama may very well be one of the preseason favorites and among the top-ranked teams in the nation when the preseason polls start coming out this summer, but Saban is not one who will buy into it and wants to see his team earn that accolades.
This is not the first time Saban has played this tactic, nor will it be the last.