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HURT: Unsatisfied Saban makes sense
Cecil Hurt | Sports Editor
Alabama head coach Nick Saban calls plays during the second half the Crimson Tide's game against Western Kentucky, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2016, in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Brynn Anderson | AP
He coaches in an over-the-top environment, a high-pressure world in which expectations build up like the ocean crushing in on a descending bathysphere.
That's why Nick Saban's reactions sometimes seem over the top as well. That's why he can come off the field after a 28-point win against what was, as he pointed out earlier in the week, a decent opponent and declare himself "maybe as disappointed as I have ever been about a win." He has to keep the intensity ratcheted up to the maximum. There is, after all, no margin for error, no time for a learning curve. Not at Alabama, where championships are the only goal, where a 9-3 season would be a disaster on the level of an earthquake causing a tsunami during a volcano. It's not fair to lay that all on Crimson Tide fans. The coaching staff has the same expectations.
That's why Saban is at his most feverish, in terms of evaluation, not after a loss. Losses tend to be self-correcting. What worries him most -- and this isn't just true of this season, but of every season when the Crimson Tide is coming off a title run -- is the comfortable-looking win, the kind that is a Petri dish for bad habits. That's what he's guarding against. That's why the players quite likely got blistered after the game. It's certainly why offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin will have to spend a portion of this week's pay raise to buy some new britches, ones without the shredded seat that Saban left behind in a final-minute tirade.
Asked about the interaction, Saban had a succinct description.
"There were no arguments," he said. "Those are called ass-chewings."
There's no question about that. But, for all his nuclear reputation, Saban doesn't randomly explode. Something has to enter the right code before the missile flies out of the silo. So what was it on Saturday?
Alabama had the ball with under two minutes remaining and victory was certain. The fact is, Western Kentucky probably wasn't going to call another time out. But a play call was made that involved a snap, not to a quarterback, but to wide receiver Robert Foster. Unaccustomed to taking snaps, he fumbled and Western Kentucky took over. Maybe Kiffin felt Alabama needed one more first down to run out the clock. Saban didn't agree, or at least he didn't agree with trying to get the first down by any non-conservative means, hence the chewing. His mood was no doubt helped (although his point might have been reinforced) by an ensuing WKU touchdown.
Did it affect the outcome (outside of Nevada, land of legal wagers?) No. But is it something that Saban -- who has used the word "arrogance" earlier in his press conference -- wants to see become a habit? Of course not. Never. And especially not this week.
Ole Miss is coming up. For two years now, Ole Miss has been able to pounce on just that sort of mistake -- a turnover, a penalty -- and take advantage. Credit to Ole Miss for that, certainly. But there is no question that there has been plenty of self-inflicted damage by the Crimson Tide. So, despite the popular interpretation, Saban -- who mentioned the Rolling Stones as a favorite band a few weeks ago -- isn't simply trapped in a world of "can't get no satisfaction." But he can see, even in a 38-10 win, where the fault lines lie. And he's going to make sure that everyone knows where they are -- especially in the week ahead.
TideSports.com - HURT: Unsatisfied Saban makes sense
Cecil Hurt | Sports Editor
Alabama head coach Nick Saban calls plays during the second half the Crimson Tide's game against Western Kentucky, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2016, in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Brynn Anderson | AP
He coaches in an over-the-top environment, a high-pressure world in which expectations build up like the ocean crushing in on a descending bathysphere.
That's why Nick Saban's reactions sometimes seem over the top as well. That's why he can come off the field after a 28-point win against what was, as he pointed out earlier in the week, a decent opponent and declare himself "maybe as disappointed as I have ever been about a win." He has to keep the intensity ratcheted up to the maximum. There is, after all, no margin for error, no time for a learning curve. Not at Alabama, where championships are the only goal, where a 9-3 season would be a disaster on the level of an earthquake causing a tsunami during a volcano. It's not fair to lay that all on Crimson Tide fans. The coaching staff has the same expectations.
That's why Saban is at his most feverish, in terms of evaluation, not after a loss. Losses tend to be self-correcting. What worries him most -- and this isn't just true of this season, but of every season when the Crimson Tide is coming off a title run -- is the comfortable-looking win, the kind that is a Petri dish for bad habits. That's what he's guarding against. That's why the players quite likely got blistered after the game. It's certainly why offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin will have to spend a portion of this week's pay raise to buy some new britches, ones without the shredded seat that Saban left behind in a final-minute tirade.
Asked about the interaction, Saban had a succinct description.
"There were no arguments," he said. "Those are called ass-chewings."
There's no question about that. But, for all his nuclear reputation, Saban doesn't randomly explode. Something has to enter the right code before the missile flies out of the silo. So what was it on Saturday?
Alabama had the ball with under two minutes remaining and victory was certain. The fact is, Western Kentucky probably wasn't going to call another time out. But a play call was made that involved a snap, not to a quarterback, but to wide receiver Robert Foster. Unaccustomed to taking snaps, he fumbled and Western Kentucky took over. Maybe Kiffin felt Alabama needed one more first down to run out the clock. Saban didn't agree, or at least he didn't agree with trying to get the first down by any non-conservative means, hence the chewing. His mood was no doubt helped (although his point might have been reinforced) by an ensuing WKU touchdown.
Did it affect the outcome (outside of Nevada, land of legal wagers?) No. But is it something that Saban -- who has used the word "arrogance" earlier in his press conference -- wants to see become a habit? Of course not. Never. And especially not this week.
Ole Miss is coming up. For two years now, Ole Miss has been able to pounce on just that sort of mistake -- a turnover, a penalty -- and take advantage. Credit to Ole Miss for that, certainly. But there is no question that there has been plenty of self-inflicted damage by the Crimson Tide. So, despite the popular interpretation, Saban -- who mentioned the Rolling Stones as a favorite band a few weeks ago -- isn't simply trapped in a world of "can't get no satisfaction." But he can see, even in a 38-10 win, where the fault lines lie. And he's going to make sure that everyone knows where they are -- especially in the week ahead.
TideSports.com - HURT: Unsatisfied Saban makes sense
