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Nick Saban doesnât take his eye off the ball.
Asked if Saturdayâs road test at Kentucky stacked up as a trap game, the coach insisted he didnât even know what that means.
He was briefed very quickly that a trap game is one that is very dangerous for a favored team because of a number of factors â where it falls on the schedule, the motivation for both teams, etc. â that are chock full of âoutsideâ distractions.
The coach, not surprisingly, wasnât buying it.
âI really think you control what you do, our players control what they do,â Saban said after practice last week.
â... Anybody we can play can beat us. And on the other hand, nobody we play can beat us. Just depending on us.â
Saban thought about it some more.
âTrap game? So if I went and told the players this is a trap game, and they started believing it was a trap game, itâll end up being trap game,â he said.
âBut Iâd rather them believe if theyâll go do what theyâre supposed to do theyâll have the best chance to be successful. And that didnât just start when you showed up for the game. It begins with practice every day, when you prepare.
âI think consistency is one of the most difficult things to do from a human nature standpoint. I think it takes something special to be able to do that. Itâs a challenge to get it done with your team every week. Thatâs our challenge and thatâs what we try to do.â
Saban was asked about the linebacker rotation. This is Alabamaâs first full game without standout sophomore inside linebacker Dontâa Hightower.
One of his options was moving one of Rolando McClainâs backups â sophomore Chris Jordan or true freshman Nico Johnson of Andalusia â into Hightowerâs spot, at least in a base defense look.
âWe didnât do that. Itâs always an option, but we really didnât do that,â the coach said.
âNico has played mike and will, which for a young guy is a little bit of a burden. Young guys make mistakes every day, but as long as they are making progress. Weâre pleased and happy with their progress. Thatâs the biggest thing right now â could they go in and execute knowledgewise to be able to get it done?
âI think theyâre all going to be good football players. But theyâve got to be ready to play. Weâve played freshmen linebackers two years in a row. Rolando played two years ago. Dontâa played all last year.
âSo itâs not we wouldnât play a freshman. But those guys got it. We wouldnât want to play guys who arenât confident in what they are supposed to do and how to do it. Weâll continue to bring those guys along.â
Nick Saban doesnât take his eye off the ball.
Asked if Saturdayâs road test at Kentucky stacked up as a trap game, the coach insisted he didnât even know what that means.
He was briefed very quickly that a trap game is one that is very dangerous for a favored team because of a number of factors â where it falls on the schedule, the motivation for both teams, etc. â that are chock full of âoutsideâ distractions.
The coach, not surprisingly, wasnât buying it.
âI really think you control what you do, our players control what they do,â Saban said after practice last week.
â... Anybody we can play can beat us. And on the other hand, nobody we play can beat us. Just depending on us.â
Saban thought about it some more.
âTrap game? So if I went and told the players this is a trap game, and they started believing it was a trap game, itâll end up being trap game,â he said.
âBut Iâd rather them believe if theyâll go do what theyâre supposed to do theyâll have the best chance to be successful. And that didnât just start when you showed up for the game. It begins with practice every day, when you prepare.
âI think consistency is one of the most difficult things to do from a human nature standpoint. I think it takes something special to be able to do that. Itâs a challenge to get it done with your team every week. Thatâs our challenge and thatâs what we try to do.â
Saban was asked about the linebacker rotation. This is Alabamaâs first full game without standout sophomore inside linebacker Dontâa Hightower.
One of his options was moving one of Rolando McClainâs backups â sophomore Chris Jordan or true freshman Nico Johnson of Andalusia â into Hightowerâs spot, at least in a base defense look.
âWe didnât do that. Itâs always an option, but we really didnât do that,â the coach said.
âNico has played mike and will, which for a young guy is a little bit of a burden. Young guys make mistakes every day, but as long as they are making progress. Weâre pleased and happy with their progress. Thatâs the biggest thing right now â could they go in and execute knowledgewise to be able to get it done?
âI think theyâre all going to be good football players. But theyâve got to be ready to play. Weâve played freshmen linebackers two years in a row. Rolando played two years ago. Dontâa played all last year.
âSo itâs not we wouldnât play a freshman. But those guys got it. We wouldnât want to play guys who arenât confident in what they are supposed to do and how to do it. Weâll continue to bring those guys along.â
